THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES OF THE EMERGING SLUMS SETTLEMENTS IN THE FEDERAL CAPITAL CITY, PHASE II ABUJA, NIGERIA.

The thesis examined the socio-economic and environmental challenges of the emerging slums settlements in the Federal Capital City, Phase II Abuj a (the study area). The study identified the failure of the authorities to provide adequate, safe and affordable housing and basic services for the teeming population of the study area as a fundamental factor responsible for the emergence and development of slums in the study area. The study assessed the socio-economic characteristics of residents; the available basic infrastructural facilities such as housing, water supply, waste management, access roads; structure of land use and land cover changes and security of tenure of land properties. The study area was mapped out and delineated into slums settlements namely Mabushi, Utako, Wuye, Durumi and Gudu districts for the purpose of enumeration. Buildings within each of the settlements were counted and numbered. In all, one thousand, four hundred and seventeen residential buildings were identified. Three hundred and twelve copies of questionnaires were administered. The same number of questionnaires representing one hundred percent administered was received from the respondents. Two hypotheses were put forward to test whether there existed significant variations between the income levels of respondents across the delineated areas; and to test whether there existed significant variations between the sources of water in the slums of the study area. The data obtained from the field was summarily analyzed using SPSS software, the Analysis of Variance and Kruskal-Wallis Tests. The F ratio was used to test for significance at the one percent level. The results obtained show that there existed no significant variations between the sample means of the five sampled points for the parameters tested: a large number of respondents fall within the low income category; there is infrastructural deficit; the structure of land use is largely in violation of the master plan while the land cover is largely modified. Based on the findings of the study, it is recommended that both short term policy issues which includes provision of job opportunities; improvement of quality of life of the low income households; provision of ho using and other infrastructural facilities; strict enforcement of the master plan for the study area; ensure all residential buildings are approved and secured to avoid eviction and the long term policy issues which includes the prevention of slums in the study area be implemented.