Quality of Life of Poor Residential Neighborhoods in Oshogbo, Nigeria

Authors: Funmilayo L. Amao

Abstract:

As a result of the high cost of housing, the increasing population is forced to live in substandard housing and unhealthy conditions giving rise to poor residential neighborhoods. The paper examines the causes and characteristics of poor residential neighborhood. The paper finds the problems that have influence poor neighborhoods to; poverty, growth of informal sector and housing shortage. The paper asserts that poor residential neighborhoods have adverse effects on the people.

The secondary data was obtained from books, journals and seminar papers while primary data relating to building and environmental quality from structured questionnaire administered on sample of 500 household heads, from sampling frame of 5000 housing units.

The study reveals that majority of the respondents are poor and employed in informal sector. The paper suggests urban renewal and slum upgrading programs as methods in dealing with the situation and an improvement in the socio-economic circumstances of the inhabitants.

Keywords: Environmental Degeneration, Housing, Poverty, Quality of life, Urban Upgrading.

Digital Object Identifier (DOI): doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.1091704

References:

[1] Majale, M., 2002. "Towards Pro-Poor Regulatory Guidelines for Urban Upgrading” A review of papers presented at the International Workshop on Regulatory Guidelines for Urban Upgrading held at Bourton-on-Dunsmore, May 17-18, 2001
[2] Bradburn, N (1969): The Structure of Psychological Well-Being (Aldine,Chicago).Brickman,P., D. Coates and R. J. Janoff-Bulman: 1978, Lottery winners and accident victims: Is happiness relative, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 36, pg. 917–927
[3] Brock, D. (1993): Quality of life in health care and medical ethics’, in M. Nussbuam and A.Sen (eds.): The Quality of Life (Clarendon Press, Oxford), pg. 95–132
[4] Costanza, R., 2008. "An Integrative Approach to Quality of Life Measurement, Research, and Policy,” S.A.P.I.EN.S. 1 (1)
[5] Diener and Suh, E., 1997. "Measuring Quality of Life: Economic, Social, and Subjective Indicators,” Social Indicators Research 40 (1997): 189-216; Existing Slums and Reducing the Need for Future Slums, paper presented at Urban Research
[6] UN-HABITAT, 2003. "The Challenge of Slums” - Global Report on Human Settlements 2003
[7] UN-HABITAT, 2007. "Enhancing Urban Safety and Security addresses three major threats to the safety and security of cities: crime and violence; insecurity of tenure and forced evictions,” 2007
[8] Agbola, T., 1998. "The Housing of Nigerians,” A Review of policy Development and Implementation Research Report 14, Development Policy Centre, Ibadan, Nigeria.
[9] Osuide, S.O. and Dimuna, K.O., 2005. "Effects of Population Growth on Urbanization and the Environment in Nigeria,” Pg. 27-33. In: Proceeding of year 2000 National Seminar on Population, Growth, Architecture and the Environment. S. O. Osuide (ed.) Rasjel Publishers, Ekpoma.
[10] Onibokun, A.G., 1972. "Strategies for Urban Redevelopment,” In Journal of the Royal Town Planning Institute, Vol. 58 No 2
[11] Wahab, K., Adedokun, L.A and A.G. Onibokun, A.G., 1990. "Urban Housing Conditions: Urban Housing in Nigeria,” A.G. Onibokun (ed.); Ibadan: Nigerian Institute of Social and Economic Research
[12] Olotuah, A.O., 2005. "Urbanization, Urban Poverty, and Housing Inadequacy,” Proceedings of Africa Union of Architects Congress, 23-28 May, Abuja, Nigeria, pg. 185-199.
[13] So, A.T.P and Leung, A.Y.T., 2004. "Survey of attitudes towards buildings in three Chinese cities: Hong Kong, Shanghai and Taipei,” Facilities 22(3/4): 100-108.
[14] Paudel, H. K. (2003). 14-3-3 connects glycogen synthase kinase 3ß to tau within a brain microtubule-associated tau phosphorylation complex. J. Biol. Chem. 278, 12722-12728
[15] Baharoglu, D. and Kessides, C., 2004. "Urban poverty,” chapter of the PRSP Sourcebook, Chapter 16, World Bank, Washington, D.C., 15-17
[16] Gilbertson, J., Green, G., Ormandy, D. and Thomson, H., 2008. "Good housing and good health: A review and recommendations for housing and health practitioners,” A Sector Study Housing Corporation, UK.