MAKESHIFT HOUSING AND THE URBAN POOR IN OBUDU, NIGERIA AFFORDABILITY, ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY AND POLICY OPTIONS 27 11
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.83374/jesber.vol1no2.39Keywords:
Makeshift housing, Urban poor, Housing affordability, Environmental quality, Tenure, Incremental upgrading, Obudu Urban, NigeriaAbstract
This study examines the shelter contribution, environmental conditions and affordability role of makeshift housing occupied by low-income households in Obudu Urban, Cross River State, Nigeria. A cross-sectional survey covered 107 makeshift structures across seven neighbourhoods using questionnaires, observation, interviews and descriptive statistics. Rental ranges were compared across building types, and the original Pearson correlation based on five aggregated response categories was reinterpreted cautiously. Fifty-five per cent of respondents earned below ₦15,000 monthly, 66% depended on farming and 49% lived in households of six to eight persons. Wood and grasses were the most frequently reported materials. Environmental quality was rated poor by 57%, while government neglect, insecure tenure and high material costs were leading supply constraints. Makeshift rooms consistently rented below conventional rooms and flats, supporting an affordability function, but not evidence of adequate housing quality. The aggregated correlation was positive, r = .69, yet non-significant, t(3) = 1.65, p > .05. Implications: Policy should combine in-situ upgrading, tenure-sensitive assistance, basic services and incremental low-cost housing rather than indiscriminate clearance. The article distinguishes affordability from adequacy and frames makeshift housing as a constrained household adaptation requiring risk-reducing public intervention.Downloads
References
Abrams, C. (2010). Housing in the modern world: Man's struggle for shelter in an urbanizing world. Faber and Faber.
Agbola, T., & Adegoke, S. A. (2007). Economics of housing. In T. Agbola, L. Egunjobi, & C. O. Olatubara (Eds.), Housing development and management: A book of readings. Department of Urban and Regional Planning, University of Ibadan.
Akinmoladun, O. I., & Oluwoye, J. (2007). An assessment of why the problems of housing shortages persist in developing countries: A case study of Lagos Metropolis, Nigeria. Pakistan Journal of Social Sciences, 4(4), 589–598.
Angel, S. (2000). Housing policy matters: A global analysis. Oxford University Press.
Aribigbola, A. (2008). Housing policy formulation in developing countries: Evidence of programme implementation from Akure, Ondo State, Nigeria. Journal of Human Ecology, 23(2), 125–134.
Aribigbola, A., & Ayeniyo, O. I. (2012). Sites-and-services as a strategy for achieving adequate housing in Nigeria in the 21st century. International Journal of Humanities and Social Science, 2(2), 126–132.
Awuh, M. E., Officha, M. C., Okolie, A. O., & Enete, I. C. (2018). Land-use/land-cover dynamics in Calabar Metropolis using remote sensing and GIS techniques. Journal of Geographic Information System, 10, 398–414.
Davis, M. (2006). Planet of slums. Verso.
Ebie, S. P. (2009). Public-sector-driven housing: Achievements and problems. Faculty of Environmental Sciences Annual Lecture, Nnamdi Azikiwe University.
Eneyo, V. B. (2025a). Environment: An introduction to environmental science. IDbeyond Printing Press.
Eneyo, V. B. (2025b). Essentials of tourism for beginners. University of Calabar Press.
Eneyo, V. B. (2025c). Tourism for beginners II. University of Calabar Press.
Eneyo, V. B. (2026a). Tourism support services, environmental management and sustainable destination development in Uyo, Nigeria: Spatial and socio-economic evidence. Journal of Environmental Sciences and Built Environment Research, 1(1), 227–240. https://doi.org/10.83374/jesber.vol1no1.23
Eneyo, V. B. (2026b). Where the city eats: Spatial clustering, distance-decay and patronage rhythms of eateries in Calabar, Nigeria. Journal of Environmental Sciences and Built Environment Research, 1(1), 1–13.
Eneyo, V. B., & Archibong, A. A. (2024). Examining socio-economic implications of tourism development in Nigeria. World Tourism Journal, 2(2), 61–82.
Eneyo, V. B., & Ekpenyong, E. J. (2018). Spatial distribution of petrol filling stations in Calabar South Local Government Area, Cross River State. Multi-Disciplinary Journal of Research and Development Perspectives, 7(1), 66–83.
Eneyo, V. B., Atemgweye, G. I., Imanyi, V. U., & Essien, D. A. (2023). Tourism as a catalyst for entrepreneurial development: Insights from Cross River State, Nigeria. World Tourism Journal, 1, 1–19.
Eneyo, V. B., Onnoghen, U. N., Apeh, C. A., Ajom, S. K. O., Ugbaka, M. A., Odey, F. I., et al. (2026). Conservation constraints and aquatic livelihood transitions among riverine women in the Cross River Basin, Nigeria. Egyptian Journal of Aquatic Biology and Fisheries, 30(3), 3845–3869.
Enya, K. A. (2019). The role of makeshift structures in housing the urban poor in Obudu Urban, Obudu Local Government Area, Cross River State (Bachelor's project, Cross River University of Technology).
Federal Government of Nigeria. (2004). National housing policy draft.
Gilbert, A. (2007). The return of the slum: Does language matter? International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, 31(4), 697–713.
Izeogu, C. V. (1993). Public policy and affordable housing for the urban poor in Nigeria. Habitat International, 17(2), 75–87.
Jiboye, A. D. (2011). Achieving sustainable housing development in Nigeria: A critical challenge to governance. International Journal of Humanities and Social Science, 1(9), 121–126.
Mabogunje, A. L. (1990). Urban planning in Nigeria: Historical and administrative perspectives. Habitat International, 13(1), 127–142.
Odoyi, E. J., & Riekkinen, K. (2022). An analysis of public housing policy strategies for low-income earners in Nigeria. Sustainability, 14(5), 1–18.
Oduwaye, L. (2011). Socio-economic determinants of urban poor housing in Nigeria. Proceedings of the International Conference on Spatial Planning and Sustainable Development, 1–10.
Olotuah, A. O., & Taiwo, A. A. (2015). Housing the urban poor in Nigeria through low-cost housing schemes. International Journal of Civil Engineering, Construction and Estate Management, 3(3), 1–10.
Olubi, A. R., & Aseyan, B. S. (2022). Sustainable housing delivery for the urban poor in Nigeria. International Journal of Civil Engineering, Construction and Estate Management, 10(1), 21–34.
UNCHS (United Nations Centre for Human Settlements). (2003). The challenge of slums: Global report on human settlements 2003. Earthscan.
United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat). (2016). Urbanization and development: Emerging futures. UN-Habitat.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Journal of Enviromental Sciences and Built Environental Research
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
All articles are published under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0). Users may share, adapt, and distribute the work provided appropriate credit is given to the authors and JESBER.
