CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the Study
The duty and need for physical planning in any type of society has long been given its due recognition around the world. Literature has revealed that functional planning is required to guarantee orderliness within the human environment (Wahab, 1991; Oyesiku, 1998 and Agbola, 2007). The urban activity system is usually a complicated one and the interactions of these activities such as economic, socio-cultural, residential, institutional, commercial, municipal services and others commonly compete and conflict against each other. Most often than not, human society is prone to incompatibility of uses and conflict of preference either at a point in time or over a period of time, thus the need for planning regulations to resolve these conflicts. For that reason, planning as a distinct field of public administration seeks to safeguard public interest with regulatory power. The role of physical planning regulations in any society cannot be overemphasized.
In Nigeria, increasing levels of urbanization and its accompanying issues have the tendency to question the effectiveness and thus the significance of existing urban development and planning policies. Over the last two and half decades, Nigeria has experienced an extraordinary increase in the level and development of urbanization. In 1975, the country's urban population was approximated at 16.3 million or 21% of the total population (Umeh, 1993). By 1993, 36.2% of the population lived in urban centres (ECA & Shelter-Afrique, 1996). While the rate of urbanization for the nation in its entirety is approximated at about 7% (Umeh, 1993), major cities such as Lagos, Ibadan, Kano, Uyo, Onitsha and Aba are growing at a faster rate. Increase in the rate and degrees of urbanization have led to the manifestation of issues of different dimensions. These consist of the proliferation of slum settlements and unauthorized buildings that do not satisfy prescribed building standards, overcrowded residences, breakdown of waste disposal arrangements, air and water pollution, insufficient water and power supply and squalid conditions of environmental conditions. These jointly connect to what Mabogunje (1974) described as the issue of liveability related to Nigerian cities. Contributed to these problems are the ever-increasing level of urban poverty and ascendancy of the informal sector following the adoption of the structural adjustment programme (SAP).
The tripartite problems of high levels of urbanization, escalating urban poverty and the ascendancy of the informal sector have significant implications for the importance and relevance of urban growth and planning policies in Nigeria. For example, a major effect of urbanization is lack of housing. The prevailing poverty situation suggests that whatever housing a sizeable proportion of the low-income group can afford will fall below what is suggested by social minimum building standards. The increasingly leading position of the informal sector further implies that in responding to the current housing shortage, housing construction, land acquisition, finance mobilization, and so on., are most likely to occur outdoors the social regulatory environment. The outcome in many cases is considered unauthorized housing. The social approach in Nigeria to these supposed unauthorized houses has been outright demolition. This regardless of, unauthorized housing continues to proliferate, thus, questioning the efficiency of development control mechanisms in Nigerian urban centres. The situation of housing is just but among the various examples of the dilemma that exists between what is actually possible given the prevailing socioeconomic situation and what is prescribed by planning organizations.
On the other hand, town planning regulations many times has not enjoyed public acceptance and cooperation and this has constantly constituted an impediment to efficient physical planning. According to Oyesiku (1998) and Oso (2005), strong resistance, violence and non-compliance to regulations have been recorded by physical planning officers and these to name a few have been factors causing haphazard development that characterised many of the urban areas. It was noted that amongst the reasons for this resistance and non-compliance are lack of public awareness of the planning laws and regulations; public misunderstanding of town planning activities; and sometimes, failure of the planners to protect the general public interest and bring them along in their activities.
Due to the above, the need for the populace to comply with planning regulations activities has been much eliminated from their consciousness. The effect of which are haphazard growth, non-functional society, undesirable environment and general issues of sustainability. It is in this direction, that this study is motivated to assess the level of compliance to building regulations in Uyo, Capital of Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. This is done with the goals of revealing the level of awareness of the people on the planning regulations of the State and the extent of compliance to these regulations.
1.2 Statement of the Problem
Countless people reside in sub-standard and sub-human environments plagued by slum, squalor and grossly insufficient social facilities. In recent time, the increasing rate of deterioration of the environment is becoming worrisome and studies have therefore acknowledged that low level of awareness on the part of the people, absence of efficient programmes for development control to name a few, are accountable for this menace. In spite of the leading role of planning in the use and management of the environment, its comprehensiveness, multi-dimensionality and base in the public interest; urban and regional planning has continued to be far removed from popular public consciousness.
It is likewise surprising that several members of the public are yet to be aware of the various planning legislations policies and for that reason many times often alarmed, resentful and bewildered of these regulations. Many attempts by urban planning agency officials to attain healthy cities particularly with development control usually bring then face to face with high level of non-compliance, lack of understanding and sometimes risks and dangers. Insults and abuse by developers have likewise been recorded. This and a lot more have hindered development control activities and have been recorded as one of the factors for shanties and slums that characterised many towns of the developing nations. It is this direction that this study seeks to examine the level of compliance to planning regulations in the study. This is capable of revealing professionals and other stakeholders to the level of awareness of the people on planning regulations and their degree of compliance or otherwise with planning rules and regulations.
1.3 Objectives of the Study
The aim of this study is to assess the compliance measures to building standards and town planning by using Uyo Capital City Development Agency, UCCDA as a case study. However, the specific objectives are:
i) To understand the importance of building control and regulations in Uyo
ii) To examine the challenges of building control practices in Uyo
iii) To determine the level of compliance on building standards and town planning by builders in Uyo.
1.4 Research Questions
This study provided answers to the following questions:
i) What is the importance of building control and regulations in Uyo?
ii) What are the challenges of building control practices in Uyo?
iii) What is the level of compliance on building standards and town planning by builders in Uyo?
1.5 Significance of the Study
Both the public and private sector place more emphasis on the compliance level in building construction for the purpose of safety for all parties involved. This study assesses the compliance measures to building standards and town planning in Uyo Capital City Development Agency, UCCDA, and tries to give recommendations where necessary. It is hoped that the recommendations in this study will be used by stakeholders in the building construction industry in addressing the ugly menace of non-compliance by some building some builders in our dear country, Nigeria.
1.6 Scope of the Study
This study focuses on the assessment of compliance measures to building standards and town planning in Uyo Capital City Development Agency, UCCDA with a view to give necessary recommendations on how to maintain a good compliance behaviour.
