MAKESHIFT HOUSING AND THE URBAN POOR IN OBUDU, NIGERIA AFFORDABILITY, ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY AND POLICY OPTIONS

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Published: 2026-07-15
DOI: https://doi.org/10.83374/jesber.vol1no2.39
Keywords:
Makeshift housing, Urban poor, Housing affordability, Environmental quality, Tenure, Incremental upgrading, Obudu Urban, Nigeria

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Tpl. Dr. Simon Kanong-Osowo Ajom
Department of Urban and Regional Planning, University of Calabar, Nigeria
Edmund Chinem Nwokaeze
Department of Urban and Regional Planning, Rivers State University.
Tpl. Olutunde Joel Babawale
Department of Urban and Regional Planning, Cross River State University of Technology, Nigeria
Salihu Musa Koko
Department of Urban and Regional Planning, University of Calabar, Nigeria
Kingsley Asira Enya
Department of Urban and Regional Planning, Cross River State University of Technology, Nigeria

Abstract

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.

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Vol. 1 No. 2 (2026)

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How to Cite

MAKESHIFT HOUSING AND THE URBAN POOR IN OBUDU, NIGERIA AFFORDABILITY, ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY AND POLICY OPTIONS. (2026). Journal of Enviromental Sciences and Built Environental Research, 1(2), 93–104. https://doi.org/10.83374/jesber.vol1no2.39

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