APPRAISAL OF LAND USE INVASION IN ABA METROPOLIS

Abstract

The increasing complexities associated with land –use pattern of most Nigerian cities in the 21^st century land much credence to the fact that physical development is a phenomenon closely relate to economic activities and as such require sophisticated methods of land –use management if balanced spatial development must be achieved in Aba metropolis. Land-uses are often converted to commercial uses due to proliferation of commercial activities. the primary hypothesis of the research focused on the fact that invasion of the Aba metropolis by commercial activities has significantly affected housing, socio-economic wellbeing and the entire physical structure of the town negatively. Direct observation, questionnaires and oral interviews were the major instruments used in the research, well-structured questionnaire were administered to five hundred and twenty five respondents made up of property owners, business operators and staff of planning authorities. The correlation coefficient was used among other statistical techniques as instrument of data analyses. The major findings are that Aba metropolis is being daily invaded by commercial activities creating lots of environmental concern for the city dwellers and the residential land –use and open spaces have been invaded by commercial activities resulting in shortage of accommodation, and; lack of decent relaxation areas. The research recommended that this trend could be reversed through implementing a design concept built on multi-nuclei commercial- infrastructure development, urban renewal and reinvented development control