An Appraisal of the Housing Elements and Neighbourhood Infrastructures Maintenance Practise in Ilorin Metropolis, Nigeria

Abstract

Housing is pivotal to the socio-economic development and the life of a nation. Rapid population growth and urbanisation are creating escalating demand for added living spaces; hence, there is the need to maintain the existing housing units in order to increase housing stock. This study therefore appraises the maintenance practise of housing facilities in Ilorin, metropolis, Nigeria with a view to improving the living standards of the houses. Mass housing schemes in Ilorin metropolis constituted the sample frame for the study and multistage sampling technique was adopted.  Equal probability selection method was used to select 1,125 houses from the available five typologies, while questionnaire and observation formed the basic instruments for data collection and the questionnaire was administered to household heads of the selected houses to collect information on socioeconomic characteristics, house type as well as the condition of the facilities. Both descriptive and inferential statistical analyses were employed in the presentation of the findings; Likert scale was used to weigh the degree of condition of the housing facilities. The highest household income was $37 – $56 (28.1%) indicating the schemes were predominantly dominated by middle income workers, while the significant house type was flat type bungalow (80.6%). Burglary proof has the highest Mean Weighted Value of 4.17 indicating it has the highest maintenance level, while others were fairly maintained. The study suggests that effort must be strengthened to ensure that the housing facilities are regularly maintained and put in good condition in the housing schemes in order to ensure sustainability.