ASSESSMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS OF URBANISATION IN ILORIN METROPOLIS, KWARA STATE

Abstract

Ilorin Metropolis is undergoing tremendous landscape modifications and rapid urbanisation, which is putting significant strain on the environment and raising serious concerns about environmental sustainability. This study assesses the environmental impact of urbanisation in Ilorin metropolis with a view to exposing its causes, problems and effects intertwined with urbanisation in the study area. Using a descriptive research design, four-point Likert-scale questionnaires were administered for data collection by employing a stratified sampling technique to allow for the collection of standardised data from a large sample, enabling statistical analysis of causes and problems related to urbanisation, and the effects on the immediate environment. More than half of the respondents (54%) strongly agreed that increased industrial/commercial activities are the most significant cause of urbanisation, while 41.3% strongly agreed that educational and employment opportunities is also a major contributor to the urban growth in the study area. This has led to several environmental problems, including land degradation (54.7%), closely followed by haphazard land use (53%); pollution (28%). The resulting effects include land conflicts (62.7%), inadequate social/public facilities (50%), high land/ costs (30.7), and traffic congestion ( 25.3%). These findings highlight broader issues of weak urban planning, over-exploitation of natural resources, and ineffective environmental governance. Hence, there is a need to adopt sustainable environmental practices, create awareness and adopt policy-driven urban densification as the city continues to expand.