




































Asian Review of Environmental 

and Earth Sciences 
ISSN: 2313-8173 
Vol. 1, No. 1, 19-24, 2014 

http://www.asianonlinejournals.com/index.php/AREES 

 
 

 

 

 

 

19 

 

An Investigation of the Socio-Economic Implications of the 

Violation of Land Use Laws in Kpakungu Area of Minna, 

Niger State, Nigeria 
 

Maimuna, B.K.
1
 --- Nsofor, G.N.

2
 --- Suleiman, Y.M.

3
 

 
1,2,3

Department of Geography, Federal University of Technology Minna, Nigeria 

 

Abstract 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License 

Asian Online Journal Publishing Group 

 
 

1. Introduction 
A simple walk round the streets of Minna with one’s eyes open afresh to the environmental conditions will tell 

that the majority of the people are living in squalid, dirty, unhealthy houses, streets and drainage lines [1]. Many 

cities of the world in general and developing countries in particular were not planned initially while only few of them 

started as planned developments. They therefore, began to develop as villages or trade centers but they increased in 

sizes to what are big cities and urban centres today. Such process of city growth has been marked with haphazard 

development, poor planning, urban sprawl and environmental degradation [2].   
Districts which often spill over into the surrounding residential areas and industrial sites originally located 

around the outskirts are engulfed by other developments as the cities grow. Experience shows that, the variety of 

growth and changing of land use found in different cities complicate the process of identifying simple principles that 

govern the allocation of urban land uses [2]. Land-use planning often leads to land-use regulations also known as 

zoning, but they are not one and the same. As a tool for implementing land use plans, zoning regulates the types of 

activities that can be accommodated on a given piece of land, the amount of space devoted to those activities and the 

ways that buildings may be placed and shaped [3].  

Law to protect mankind from environmental effects of his activities can be traced from the very ancient times; 

however, in those periods such regulations are mostly communal, and usually instinctively obeyed as being inherent 

and natural. The first recorded formal regulation or decree (law) in the field of environmental law was issued in 1273 

by King Edward I, when in order to protect the health of his subjects he issued a decree prohibiting the burning of 

sea coal [4]. Environmental policy is any (course of) action deliberately taken (or not taken) to manage human 

activities with a view to prevent, reduce or mitigate harmful effects on nature and natural resources, and ensuring that 

man-made changes to the environment do not have harmful effects on humans [5]. 

Environmental law can be seen as a body of laws which contains elements to control the human impact on the 

earth, but due to the non compliance with the law, the unpleasant social conditions created by pollutions, over 

crowding and diseases provided the stimulus needed for legal regulations. It was estimated that by the year 2008, 

Over the years, there has been a rapid increase in population of people and socio-economic activities at 

kpakungu. The major reasons for this increase have been ascribed to the number of investments and 

socio-economic activities which have culminated in increased and deplorable living conditions. The 

residents, who are in desperate need of shelter to provide accommodation, tend to develop properties 

without taking account of the land use planning pattern or zoning regulation, thereby building properties 

that are not in conformity with the planning regulations. This study is aimed at investigation of the 

Socio-economic Implications of the Violation of Land Use Laws in Kpakungu Area of Minna and the 

state and rate of compliance with these laws.  Questionnaire administration, Personal interview and field 

analysis were utilised. The results indicate that the population growth and socio-economic activities in 

Kpakungu have led to over stretching of facilities which encouraged over-crowding in the area and 

attendant consequences such as the growth of slums due to lack of plan and alteration to Minna city 

Master Plan. Therefore, State Government should review the laws enacted ensuring that households 

abide by such laws and set a fine for non-compliance with the laws. There is also the need to establish a 

housing policy to provide sufficient and affordable housing for the lower income group so that illegal 

sub-divisions on buildings for residential purposes can be eliminated. 
 
    Keywords: Compliance, Land Use, Planning, Environmental Laws, Violation, Slum, Regulation. 

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/


Asian Review of Environmental and Earth Sciences, 2014, 1(1): 19-24 

 

 

 

 

20 

 

more than half of the world’s human population of 3.3 billion people will be living in the urban areas. It is also 

estimated that by 2030, this number would reach an all time high of 5 billion with many of these people poor [6].The 

socio-economic activities of man results in waste generation, but the rate of waste generated differs from community 

to community. The world health organization [7] refers to waste as “something which the owner no longer wants at a 

given time and space and which has no current or perceived market value” 

Indiscriminate disposal and dumping of refuse or waste has become a practice in Nigerian cities. Most of the 

waste dumps are located along residential houses, markets, drainages and on roads. The development of land use 

systems which meet the needs of present and future generations without causing environmental degradation remain 

one of the major challenges we are confronted with today. For sustainable development, such land use systems must 

have the capacity to prevent and control any form of gross abuse or unsustainable use of land resources [8]. 

Urbanization is therefore, an inevitable, but positive concomitant of economic change. The growth of slums, the 

concentration of poverty, as well as the illegal land use and their attendant social disruptions in cities pose a great 

challenge. It is also true that no state can achieve a significant economic growth without urbanization [9]. The 

essence of compliance with set standards, laws and regulations in property development is to ensure the health, 

welfare, comfort and general well being of the people residing around the areas after construction [9]. 

 

2. Study Area 
Kpakungu is a residential settlement within an area of Minna the capital of Niger state, which is the focus area of 

the research. It is situated along Minna-Bida road. The indigenous residents are the Gwari speaking people.  Minna 

being the state capital with administrative set up has attracted a considerable number of ethnic groups with different 

social and cultural background. From 2006 population census, kpakungu is about 201,429 out of the entire 

population of Minna. Males consist of 105,803 and females 95,626 given the total of 201,429. 

Kpakungu, the study area is a settlement located in chanchaga local government, Niger state and lies between 

latitudes 8o 20’N and 11o 30’N and longitude 3o30E and 7o 29’E. One of the 36 States of Nigeria was created out of 

the defunct North Western State on 3rd February, 1976, situated in the North Central geo- political zone. The State 

comprises 25 Local Government Areas grouped into 3 administrative zones A, B, C, with each zone having 8, 9 and 

8 local government areas respectively. The State is bordered to the North by Zamfara State, to the North West by 

Kebbi State, to the South by Kogi State, to the South West by Kwara State while Kaduna State and the Federal 

Capital Territory border the State to the North East and South east respectively (Figure 1).  

                  

                               

 

 

Figure-1.The study area (kpakungu, minna, niger state, Nigeria) 

 

3. Materials and Methods 
a. The methodology used for this research employed the use of descriptive analysis. It involved the use of 

tables, charts and simple percentages. 
b. Data on the level of awareness and rate of compliance were collected through field survey and 

interviews. 

c. Data on laws to guide land use were collected through the interpretation of Niger state gazette 



Asian Review of Environmental and Earth Sciences, 2014, 1(1): 19-24 

 

 

 

 

21 

 

d. Land use types and location of land use were interpreted using the Minna master plan. 

e. The Socio-economic indicators that have great impact in the violation of land use laws. 

 

4. Results and Discussion 

 
Table-1.Are there Environmental laws existing to guide land use in kpakungu 

Laws guiding land use Frequency  Percentage (%) 

Yes  

No  

Total  

114 

132 

246 

46.3 

53.7 

100 

 
Table 1 depict that, 53.7% of the residents are not aware of the environmental laws existing to guide land use in 

kpakungu while 46.3% of the residents believed that there are environmental laws existing to guide land use in 

kpakungu but it is not being enforced by the agency involved in land use planning and development. 

 

 
Figure-2.Buildings constructed at Kpakungu 

 
                                          

 
Figure-3.Houses Built on Drainage Network 

 

Figures 2 and 3 illustrates that buildings were constructed without regards to the environmental effects, drainages 

were blocked with waste materials and the environment is polluted as litters are seen at every corner of kpakungu.  It 

showed that environmental laws are not properly understood about the negative effect it has on the residents and the 

entire kpakungu community at large.  

 
Table-2.Environmental laws existing in kpakungu by NISEPA and NUDB 

Laws existing in kpakungu Frequency  Percentage (%) 

No  

Yes 

Total  

3 

7 

10 

30 

70 

100 

 
Table 2 shows that there are particular laws existing for kpakungu area by the Agency involved. About 70% 

believed that while 30% believe that there are no laws guiding land use in kpakungu.Kpakungu is a residential 

settlement sited on the western side of the town and it gains an immediate access from Bida road on its southern side 

and consists of various land use types located at the same area.  

 

 
 



Asian Review of Environmental and Earth Sciences, 2014, 1(1): 19-24 

 

 

 

 

22 

 

 
Figure-4.Land Use Types Present at Kpakungu Area 

 

Figure 4 depicts that 51.6% of land use in kpakungu is for residential purposes, 41.5% of land use is for 

commercial purposes, about 1.2% is used for industrial purposes, 1.6% is used for recreation purposes, while 4.1% of 

the residents believed that there are other uses not necessarily the ones mentioned. Therefore, this signifies that 

majority of the kpakungu residents use land for residential purposes. 
                                                       

 

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

               

 
Figure-5. Awareness of Environmental Laws 

        
Figure 5 depict that about 60% of the residents are not aware of environmental laws, while 40% of the residents 

are aware of the environmental laws but are not abiding by the laws because they believe it is not binding on them. It 

is believed that government must enforce a law before it can be adequately adhered to. 

 

13 

20 

57 

9 
most successful

successful

moderately

unsuccessful

 
Figure-6.Performances Rating of Awareness Campaign for Kpakungu Residents 

 
Figure 6 present the rating assessment of the efficiency of NUDB and NISEPA as rated by the kpakungu 

residents. From the analysis, 13% of the residents ranked NUDB and NISEPA as most successful, 19.9% of the 

residents think that the performance of both NUDB and NISEPA is successful, 57.3% rated NUDB and NISEPA as 

moderately successful and finally 9.8% rated NUDB and NISEPA as unsuccessful. From this analysis, it shows that 

the performance of Niger state urban development board and Niger state environmental agency is relatively average 

and appreciated by the kpakungu residents but calls for improvement to make their impact felt in the study area and 

the society at large. 

 
 

 

 

 

40 

60 

Environmental awareness 

Yes

No



Asian Review of Environmental and Earth Sciences, 2014, 1(1): 19-24 

 

 

 

 

23 

 

Table-3. Level of Compliance with Environmental laws 

Level of compliance Frequency  Percentage of the Total 

Excellent 

Good  

Poor 

Very poor 

Total  

22 

46 

121 

57 

246 

8.9 

18.7 

49.2 

23.3 

100 

 

Table 3 depicts that about 49.2% of the kpakungu residents rated the level of compliance as poor, 23.2% rated 

the level as very poor. This may be because majority of the residents are not aware of environmental laws, or of 

agencies concerned with land use planning and environmental protection. This indicates that the level of compliance 

is generally poor in kpakungu. 

 
Table-4. Socio-economic Implications of the Violation of Land Use Laws in Kpakungu 

Socio-economic implications Frequency  Percentage (%)  

Yes 

No 

Total  

162 

84 

246 

66 

34 

100 

 

Table 4 indicate that about 66% of kpakungu residents believe that there are socio-economic implications 

associated with illegal land use and non-compliance with environmental laws while about 34% of the residents are of 

the view that there are no implications associated with illegal land use. This result strongly indicates that there are 

socio-economic implications associated with illegal land use and non-compliance with environmental laws at 

kpakungu, whether the implications are felt or not. 

There are laws guiding development as enshrined by Niger State Gazette, but the laws are not enforced to guide 

land use in kpakungu area and the state at large.  

The result showed that there are different land use types which include: residential, commercial, industrial and 

recreational land use at kpakungu and it signifies that majority of the kpakungu residents’ uses land for residential 

purposes. The physical layout at Kpakungu hinders the provision of deports for effective collection of solid waste. 

Therefore, the environment serves as toilet to most residents in the area, especially for children. These contributed to 

poor management of canals and channels. 

About 60.2% of the residents are not aware of any environmental law existing to guide land use in kpakungu. 

About 60% of the staff interviewed are not satisfied with the level of compliance with the land use act and 

environmental management at kpakungu but believed that when properly enforced kpakungu will be a socially and 

economically attractive place to be. Also, the kpakungu residents rated the level of compliance as poor, this is 

because majority of the residents are not aware of environmental laws. 

The various socio-economic activities and establishments along Minna- Bida road attracted population to 

kpakungu and this resulted in increased housing demand thereby increasing the growth of slums in kpakungu, also, 

the environmental conditions of some properties around the neighborhood are prone to disaster and thereby  can lead 

to scaring away of investors. 

 

5. Conclusion and Recommendations 
In view of the present circumstances and situation in kpakungu, environmental condition with respect to laws 

governing land use planning and management pose a great challenge, thereby encouraging the growth of slums and 

poor management of city canals/channels. Actually, there are laws and also enforcement organs but violation of the 

laws still persist due to lack of measures set aside for offenders. 

It is therefore recommended that Niger State Government should review and enforce the Environmental laws 

existing to guide development in kpakungu and the state at large by establishing a housing policy to provide 

sufficient and affordable housing for the lower income group so that illegal sub-divisions on buildings for residential 

purposes can be eliminated thereby sustaining land use pattern, that the regulatory authorities should be proactive  in 

ensuring environmental protection and land use management for effective land use control and management and 

Landed property owners or occupiers should ensure that they obtain building approvals before constructing or 

change in use of their property to ensure effective land use control. 

  

References 
[1] Max Lock Group, Minna master plan: Final report, max lock group Nigeria limited planning and development consultants Kaduna. 

Kaduna: New Nigerian Newspapers Limited Kad, 1980. 

[2] O. A. Oyebanji, "Principles of land use economics, Mushin, Lagos Sam Otu Nigeria Co," 2003. 

[3] Wikipedia, "Land use planning from wikipedia: The free encyclopaedia." Available http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Land-use_planning, 

2013. 

[4] M. El-surur, "A lecture note on environmental law for post graduate students: Department of geography, Federal University of 

Technology Minna," Unpublished Material, 2012. 

[5] Wikipedia, "Environmental policy instruments: Wikipedia the free encyclopaedia." Available 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environmental_policy, 2013. 

[6] DAP, "Development action plan of Niger State 2007-2011. Niger State," 2007. 

[7] Word Health Organization, "Treatment and disposal of waste. Being a report of world health organisation scientific group," Geneva, 

1966. 

[8] T. L. Muhammad, "Environmental law and land use in Nigeria," presented at the A Paper for the Second Colloquium on 

Environmental Law and Land Use Organized by IUCN Academy for Environmental Law Bonn, Germany in Collaboration with 

University of Nairobi, Kenya. Between 29th September and 2nd October, 2004, at Merica Hotel, Nakuru, Kenya, 2004. 

[9] I. Garba, "Socio-economic implications of unplanned property development in Kpakungu, Minna. Unpublished project dissertation," 

Department of Estate Management, Federal University of Technology Minna, 2009. 

 

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Land-use_planning,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environmental_policy


Asian Review of Environmental and Earth Sciences, 2014, 1(1): 19-24 

 

 

 

 

24 

 

Bibliography 
[1] Wikipedia, "Urban planning: From wikipedia, the free encyclopaedia.” Available http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urban_planning, 2013. 

[2] Wikipedia, "Land-use and planning: Wikipedia the free encyclopaedia. Retrieved from categories," Land. Available 

http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=land-useplanning&oldid=509065258, 2013. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Views and opinions expressed in this article are the views and opinions of the authors, Asian Review of Environmental and Earth Sciences shall not be 

responsible or answerable for any loss, damage or liability etc. caused in relation to/arising out of the use of the content. 

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urban_planning,
http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=land-useplanning&oldid=509065258

