Project Materials

EFFECTS OF POPULATION GROWTH ON TRANSPORTATION FACILITIES IN WARRI METROPOLIS

Chapter one

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the Study

It has been discovered that no matter how well-intentioned public efforts are to restore and maintain Nigeria’s cities and communities as good places to live and work, the ultimate outcome of city growth and development patterns is determined by private decisions and investments (Agar, 2017).

Furthermore, Agar (2017) contends that when both traditional and contemporary towns and cities expanded in response to Nigeria’s socioeconomic and political needs, some of these cities followed prescribed regulations while the bulk developed amorphously.

He went on to say that today’s Nigerian cities are plagued by deterioration and congestion, speculation and ugliness, and they suffer from disorder as if born of anarchy.

According to Aloba (2015), in most developing-country cities, investment in infrastructure, particularly housing, has fallen behind population growth.

According to Jiboye (2016), Nigerian cities have a similar experience, as available data shows that their population is expanding at an alarming rate, placing them among the fastest in the world.

The rate of urbanisation has resulted in a total urban population of 60–66 million (United Nations, 2015). Thus, the remarkable expansion in population, as well as the spontaneous increase in the number and size of major Nigerian cities, have resulted in a severe shortage of acceptable and cheap living units during the last several decades.

This developing process has resulted in a wide range of urban challenges, including overpopulation, a dismal environment, bad living conditions, inadequate and substandard infrastructure services, homelessness, and other issues (Federal Government of Nigeria, 2014).

Jiboye (2016) highlighted that the Nigerian population is growing. It will continue to rise for some years, even if there is a shift towards family planning and birth control. Increasing population at the expense of socioeconomic growth is detrimental to people’s well-being and progress.

An expanding population has ramifications and implications, particularly for a country like Nigeria, in terms of family income. Jiboye (2016) contends that overall population expansion and increased urbanisation have resulted in the rapid growth of large cities, which have been overwhelmed by the abrupt increase in transport demand.

He also stated that the supply of transport infrastructure lagged far behind. He so decided that public sector finances in general are so low that funding for transport improvements is grossly inadequate.

Warri Metropolis has seen substantial population development in recent years as the population has increased. According to Davis (2017), the primary causes of this rapid population growth are unrestricted migration and increasing urbanisation.

Rapid population expansion has undoubtedly had an impact on Warri Metropolitan’s transport infrastructure. The residents of Warri place a premium on transit and infrastructure development.

According to Onyeka (2017), town unions, private individuals, and associations, as members of voluntary agencies, have played active roles in the development of the transport system by providing transport, environmental, infrastructural, and community facilities at transport companies and major roads in Delta State and Warri in particular, which has resulted in transport and socioeconomic development in Warri and Delta State as a whole.

According to Jiboye (2016), the most pressing developmental challenge confronting the developing countries now is how to deal with the environmental and living standards consequences of urbanisation.

Nigeria is without a doubt the most populated country in Africa, as well as the most populous of all black nations in the globe. Nigeria is one of the top ten countries with the highest populations worldwide, ranking seventh (United Nations, 2016).

According to Arthur (2017), transport systems are essential for understanding and operating many other systems at various scales. (Barke and Hare (2014) went on to say that, at one extreme, intercontinental transport facilitates communication between the developed and developing worlds, whereas local transport to rural markets in many third-world countries is a critical component in changing dynamic socioeconomic structures.

According to Atubi and Onokala (2004b), spatial interaction is a fundamental theme in human geography. They maintained that spatial interaction entails the movement of products, services, and people between different locations in space.

According to Atubi and Onokala (2004b), while building or renovating a road network, the most cost-effective solution for one single connection is not always the best answer for the entire network.

They also stated that the cost of implementing one project to high standards may absorb resources that could be better invested across the network, or in filling other holes in the network with lower-quality roads.

Furthermore, any significant division of labour and specialisation in the industrial process in any culture (such as Warri Metropolis) requires an efficient and effective mode of transportation (Atubi and Onokala 2004a).

The different feeder roads and trails are built to connect the interior areas of the region, providing space or benefiting the motorcycle (Okada) and tricycle (Keke napep) transportation systems in Warri Metropolis.

According to Muhammad (2016), the ultimate result of increased population expansion on transit facilities is a reduction in resources. He further noted that this normally leads to relocation of people away from such a place to other less populous regions where resources are more available.

In this way, migration becomes a tool for striking a balance between rural population and available resources. In all of these examples, Agar (2017) believes that rural migration can be viewed as a spontaneous response by rural people to resource shortages as a result of population expansion.

Several studies (Jiboye, 2016; Agar, 2017; Arthur, 2017; Muhammad, 2017) have been conducted on rapid population increase and transport infrastructure in both urban and rural locations. Studies have clearly shown that high population increase has a direct impact on transit facilities in most Nigerian cities. It is against this background that this study is carried out to assess the effects of population expansion on transportation facilities in Warri Metropolis.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

Problems and challenges arising from fast population increase and urbanisation are numerous and alarming. This has recently prompted a periodic re-examination of the effects of population increase on transit facilities in Nigerian cities, towns, and villages. The population growth rate must be studied, controlled, and regulated effectively by conscious efforts.

If not, it can militate against all the efforts of government to fulfill its commitment to enhancing the quality of live and standard of living of the people of the country (Jiboye, 2016). Rapid population expansion is bad for economic and social development.

There will be little or no time to alter the economy to support development activities. According to Koontz (2016), population growth will continue to eat away at any gains in economic development, perhaps having negative consequences for people, as Malthus predicted.

The Nigerian population demands and deserves urgent attention due to its frightening and unparalleled growth rate, as well as the fact that the population has gained pace.

According to Koontz (2016), road transport faces significant challenges due to a lack of technological development to monitor or regulate vehicle speed, a lack of clean vehicles, and high overloading of men and goods.

In addition, Nwakamma (2016) highlighted that the terrible attitude of drivers towards their passengers is nothing to write home about. Road transport is the primary means of transport in Nigeria, accounting for the great bulk of freight and passenger traffic.

According to Ojabo (2017), the road infrastructure has been subjected to heavy goods that exceeds its carrying capability over time. This deteriorated the quality of the roadways, resulting in a road system that is scarcely passable.

As a result, roads were built to carry goods that could be conveniently transported by railways. Today, road transport accounts for more than 95% of passenger and freight transit (Ojabo 2017).

One of the primary issues of man since antiquity is that of overcoming the friction of distance both in space and time. Man has been on the run, looking for a way to survive.

The introduction of contemporary modes of transport around the world, particularly in developing countries such as Nigeria, has had a significant impact on the socioeconomic growth of both urban and rural areas.

Transportation to some metropolitan environments is a choice rather than a concern (Dakyes and Ogbuli, 2012). However, in an urban area, transport options are frequently limited, if not unavailable.

Transportation promotes economic growth in cities by making necessary services available to rural residents (Dakyes and Ogbuli, 2012).

Recent studies (Koontz, 2016; Nwakamma, 2016; Ojabo, 2017) have found that the lack of decent roads in Nigeria’s cities, towns, and villages makes it difficult for residents to access good marketplaces for their farm produce, with more than 86.6% of roads in the area being very bad.

This was discovered to have affected people’s socioeconomic activities, increasing poverty levels in Nigerian cities and villages. It is against this context that this study is carried out to address the aforementioned problems.

1.3 Aims and Objectives

The primary goal of this research is to investigate the effects of population expansion on transport infrastructure in Warri Metropolis. However, the precise aims include the following:

1. Investigate the socioeconomic impact of population growth on the livelihoods of the Warri people.

2. Investigate the impact of population growth on transport infrastructure in Warri Metropolis.

3. investigate the reasons and resultant implications of high population expansion in the area.

4. Identify the primary mode of transportation and the transportation options available in the study area.

5. Investigate the major issues with road transport in Warri Metropolis.

6. Propose or suggest long-term solutions to transport system challenges in the study area.

1.4 Research Questions.

1. How does population growth affect the socioeconomic well-being of the Warri people?

2. What effect does population increase have on transportation facilities in Warri Metropolis?

3. What are the reasons and consequences of high population growth in the area?

4. What is the primary mode of transport and transport services available in Warri Metropolis?

5. What are the key difficulties of road transport in Warri Metropolis?

6. What are the solutions to the transportation issues in the study area?

1.5 Research Hypothesis.

This study will examine the following research hypothesis using proper statistical tools:

1. There is no substantial association between population growth and the transport infrastructure in Warri Metropolis.

2. There is no substantial association between population increase and transit concerns in the Warri Metropolitan Area.

3. Rapid population expansion has no substantial impact on Warri Metropolis.

1.6 Significance of the Study

The study’s significance lies in “the effects of population growth on transport facilities in Warri Metropolis”. Rapid population growth has become so widespread that it cannot be ignored.

To this end, the study aims to inform the people of Warri Metropolis about the extent to which population growth has resulted in socioeconomic and environmental problems such as transport issues, a lack of income, financial difficulties among families, housing congestion, overcrowding, land use congestion, and other urban problems.

As a result, efforts must be made to manage the population explosion of cities and urban centres in order to avoid the impact of population growth on transport facilities in the Warri Metropolitan Area.

Transport facilities have continued to be impacted by the fast expansion in population and unrestricted movement of rural inhabitants to cities in pursuit of better pastures and job opportunities.

There may be urban difficulties in the vicinity of Warri Metropolis as a result of rapid population growth, which will have an impact not only on Warri Metropolis residents but also on their socioeconomic activities, stifling socioeconomic progress. It may also become a significant socioeconomic determinant in the studied area.

It is hoped that the findings of this study will go above and beyond to address socioeconomic and environmental issues such as a lack of income, financial difficulties among families, and housing congestion caused by the growing population of urban areas, which leads to urban problems.

The findings will also provide as useful background material for future research on the role of geography in nation development.

1.7 SCOPE OF THE STUDY 

The study area (Warri Metropolis) is located in Nigeria’s South-South Geopolitical Zone and Niger Delta Region.