Assessing Slum Impacts on Environment, Health, and Tourism Recreation Land-Use in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, Nigeria

Abstract

The growth of slums around the well-planned city of Abuja is a cause for concern to the government and researchers on urban studies in Nigeria. The extent to which the slums affect environmental and human wellbeing is the focus of this study. The study aimed to examine the impacts of slum settlements on the environment, human health, and tourism and recreation land use in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. A total of 330 copies of questionnaires were administered across the three associated slum communities of Mpape, New-Kutunku, and Nyanya through a systematic random sampling technique, but only 300 copies were returned and used for the study. In each of the selected slum communities, 100 copies were administered across streets, while the remaining 30 were administered to stakeholders. The most densely populated quarters and streets per community were used for questionnaire administration. Descriptive and inferential statistical techniques and the Difference-in-Differences were adopted for analysis. Furthermore, interview sessions with senior community members and authority stakeholders were granted. The study revealed that the computed value (y), 7.86, is greater than the critical value (y u), 7.58 and that slum settlements deface and degrade the city. Overcrowding, water shortages, poor housing, and environmental quality issues contribute to prevailing health challenges. In contrast, the poor settlement layout in slum areas has obscured and discouraged investment in recreation and tourismrelated facilities, as such businesses demand a neat, conducive environment. The study concludes that overpopulation, urban migration, unemployment, low income, and poor planning are factors responsible for slum formation. The study recommends that the private sector and government authorities should collaborate to develop adequate housing schemes and promote regulatory measures to discourage slum development in Abuja.