Coping with the menace of urban sprawl development through good governance in Maiduguri, Nigeria

Abstract

The urban environment is increasingly threatened by uncontrolled urban expansion. Majority of low income groups live in non-formal settlements on the urban fringe, having little access to infrastructure, services and amenities. This has serious implications on public health, quality of life and the natural urban environment. This paper describes the relevance of good governance as an approach to ameliorate the problems of urban sprawl and reviews the development and understanding of illegal status of urban sprawl. Contemporary approaches to cope with sprawl situations were offered and the formation of stakeholders’ forum through good governance to participate in decisions of environmental and security importance was recommended as strategies for solving problems of slum conditions. Most importantly, the paper recommends better urban environment could be achieved through all-inclusive decision making, consensus building, review and hearing, awareness building as well as access to sustainable infrastructure. Finally, it concluded that a blue print to guide and direct growth of the urban settlement is very paramount to curb the menace of urban sprawl in Maiduguri, Borno State, Nigeria.

Keywords: Urban Sprawl, Good Governance and Sustainable Infrastructure