NIGERIAN UNIVERSITIES AND COMMUNITY-ENGAGED RESEARCH:

AN AGENDA FOR ACTION

Professor Mustapha Zubairu,Director,

Centre for Human Settlements and Urban Development,

Federal University of Technology, Minna

CONTEMPORARY DEVELOPMENT CHALLENGES OF AFRICA

Among the greatest challenges of the twenty-first century is the rapid growth of cities. Over the last century, the world is rapidly becoming predominantly urban. As such, cities embody some of society’s most pressing challenges, as diverse as unemployment, climate change, and environmental degradation.

Growing cities and towns face additional challenges, which include: high percentages of people living in slums; expansion and dominance of the informal sector; inadequate urban basic services, especially water, sanitation and energy; unplanned peri-urban expansion; social and political conflict over land resources; high levels of vulnerability to natural disasters; and poor mobility systems.

MANIFESTATIONS OF THE PROBLEMS IN URBAN NIGERIA

100 million people out of a national population of 167 million are classified as Poor;

60-70% of the urban population are classified as Poor;

At least 60% of the urban residents live in slums and squatter settlements;

Large and growing percentage of the informal sector providing a variety of cheap and affordable services, especially cooked food, to the urban poor in particular;

Urban infrastructure especially water supply, is either over stretched or have already collapsed due to massive under investment, lack of capacity and bad management

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SLUMS Have developed their own informal but seemingly

effective “Safety Net” for the residents; They provide their own security “Vigilante Groups”; Have developed their seemingly effective and

flexible Thrift Societies; Provide their own water supply albeit more

expensive and of doubtful quality; They organise their waste collection but with little

prospect for integration into the citywide waste management system;

About 90% of citywide housing construction is taking place in the slums, albeit of doubtful structural stability and not in conformity with Zoning regulation and Building Code

IMPLICATIONS OF THE PROBLEMS ON THE URBAN POOR

Urbanization will continue to be unplanned and uncontrolled;

Slums and Squatter settlements are set to get bigger and inhabited by the poor and low income families;

Health and nutrition of the urban poor will continue to be a major challenge of governments;

Poverty alleviation and economic empowerment will continue to be a major preoccupation of all purposeful governments for the foreseeable future

PROPOSED AGENDA FOR ACTION

FEEDING THE URBAN POOR Development of local ingredients to enable food

vendors prepare nutritionally balanced meals that are affordable to the urban poor;

Increase shelf life of hawked food; Develop portable containers for Food Hawkers

that are dust and moisture proof; Large scale production of affordable fruits and

vegetables through efficient Urban Agriculture

HOUSING FOR THE URBAN POOR THROUGH INNOVATIVE SLUM REDEVELOPMENT

Planning of slum redevelopment sites based on the concept of new Urbanism- Walkability; Connectivity; Mixed-Use & Diversity; Mixed Housing ; . Increased Density; Sustainability; Quality of Life etc;

Designing the housing units based on Passive and Zero Energy design concepts;

Creating public spaces to promote cultural vitality and a vibrant street life ;

Introducing economic activities by including mixed uses to create new jobs and other opportunities for income generation;

Enhancing social mobility through improved tenure security and encouraging social interaction;

Achieving environmental sustainability and improving the microclimate at the neighborhood level

HOUSING CONSTRUCTION USING LOCAL BUILDING MATERIALS AND RENEWABLE ENERGY SYSTEMS

COMPRESSED EARTH BRICKS FOR MAKING BLOCK AND PAVERS FOR ROADS AND WALKWAYS COMPRESSED EARTH BRICKS THAT CAN BE MASS

PRODUCED AND SOLD FOR BUILDING HOUSING

CONSTRUCTION OF WALLS AND FLOOR USING COMPREED EARTHBLOCKS CONSTRUCTION OF WALLS AND FLOORS

USING COMPRESSED EARTH BLOCKS

RENEWABLE ENERGY FACILITIES

SOLAR WATER HEATER

PORTABLE VERTICAL AXIS WIND TURBINE (MOUNTED ON A ROOF)

ECO HOUSING, BENGAL, INDIA WITH SOLAR PANELS FOR HOUSEHOLD AND

STREET LIGHTING

HOUSING CONSTRUCTION USING LOCAL BUILDING MATERIALS AND RENEWABLE ENERGY SYSTEMS

COMPLETED BUNGALOW USING COMPREED EARTH BLOCKS INTERIOR OF A HOUSE BUILT OF COMPRESSED

EARTH BLOCKS

INTERIOR OF A HOUSE BUILT OF COMPRESSED EARTH BLOCKS

INTERIOR OF A HOUSE BUILT OF COMPRESSED EARTH BLOCKS

FROM POVERTY ALLEVIATION TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Establishment of a Viable Bio fuel Industry

Typical Jatropha Plant Typical Jatropha Plantation

PRODUCTS OF A TYPICAL BIODIESEL

Jatropha Crude OilRefined Jatropha biodieselJatropha CakeBy-products such as glycerine

RESEARCH PROSPECT FOR JATROPHA PLANT

Producing more draught resistant species; Producing Plants with higher yield of oil i.e.

above the current 40%; Extensive use of the plants as hedges and for

urban landscape; Establishment of Jatropha Plantations; Establish from mini community based Bio diesel

Plants to Mega Plants; Effective Extension Service to disseminate R&D

results

SALES PRICE OF PRODUCTS

Type of Products

Price

USD ($) NAIRA (N)

Biodiesel per litre

0.485 72.72

Jatropha cake per ton

400.00 60,000.00

Glycerine per ton

600.00 90,000.00

Jatropha crude oil per litre

0.3125 46.88Source: FUT, Minna 2011

PROJECTED SALES PRICE OF PRODUCTS FROM THE CULTIVATION OF 50,000KM2 OF LAND

PRODUCT

SALES ESTIMATE(N BILLION)

Jatropha Crude Oil (litre) 681

Biodiesel (B100) (litre) 550

Jatropha Press Cake(ton) 105

Jatropha by-products 262

TOTAL 1,598Author’s Projection, 2011

CONCLUSION 21st Century has been described as the Century of the Cities-

the large and growing army of the Poor remains a reality for our cities in the foreseeable future;

Keeping the Poor safe and healthy becomes priority to any purposeful government;

Slum redevelopment with the prospect of creating sustainable communities is a must ;

Mainstreaming of the Informal sector must be the focus of city governments;

Mainstreaming the informal social structures in the slums will enhance good urban governance and make local government administration transparent and accountable to their residents; and

The effectiveness of our cities as “Engines of growth” is hinged on the degree to which we make them livable, competitive, harmonious and vibrant; and to be able to harness the benefits of Globalization and Information Technology in this Century

THANK YOU