Intricacies of Urban Poverty among Households in Yenagoa City Nigeria

Eyenghe T and Aja C

Published on: 2021-01-15

Abstract

Urban poverty has become a phenomenon in urban societies. The study assessed intricacies of urban poverty among households in Yenagoa City, Nigeria. The specific objectives are to identify and assess the socio-economic characteristics of the households in Yenagoa City; determine the living condition and dimension of poverty of the households in the study area; identify coping strategies employed by households in the study area; and recommend sustainable coping strategies to alleviate urban poverty in the study area. The study used Mixed Method Research (MMR) approach of concurrent triangulation research design. Stratified and simple random sampling techniques were applied to determine sample size of 396 respondents (household heads) who were selected for interviewed and proportionately distributed across 6 urban communities in the study area. Key informants were purposively selected for interview from MDAs in the study area. The study revealed 5 persons as an average household size occupying mostly rooming housing. Households earn between N18,000 – N72,000 and most engaged in informal sector activities and civil/public services. Household members feed with about N400 (less than US$1) per day per person. There are inadequate supply of urban facilities and services such as water, electricity, medical care and educational making households to use alternative sources that is available and expensive eating-up their income. The study revealed households employs several coping strategies such as trading activities, fishing and farming and micro finance loan to build resilience capacity to ameliorate poverty stress. Improper urban landuse planning and management is the main contributing factor to poor living conditions and increasing the intricacies of urban poverty in the study area. The study recommended proper urban landuse planning and management should be carried out by government and its agencies to attract investments and economic development to spur socio-economic growth and development in the study area; government and private sector should partner to facilitate the development of low-cost housing to accommodate large quantity of households in the study area; adequate and affordable basic urban facilities and services such as medical, educational, water and electricity supply and mass transit should be provided to service households; Local Economic Plan (LED) should be develop to stimulate economic activities that will provide employment opportunities for households not engaged by the public service and organised private sector and special designated open spaces should be organised and provided for informal sector activities that will accommodate households that are involved in on-street trading and other informal activities as not to distort their livelihood systems in the study area..