ASSESSMENT OF THE EFFECTS OF RESIDENTIAL SEGREGATION ON HOUSING CONDITIONS, ENVIRONMENT, AND SOCIO-ECONOMIC STATUS OF HOUSEHOLDS IN KADUNA METROPOLIS, NIGERIA

Abstract

This study is aimed at assessing the effects of residential segregation in Kaduna Metropolis. Residential 
segregation which is the process where two or more communities that formerly resided either together or 
separate into different neighbourhoods is an inevitable process in any society and has become part of our 
urban life. The survey research approach was adopted for the study. A total of 365 copies of the 
questionnaire were returned and used for analysis which represents 86% of the returned questionnaire. 
The data collected was analysed using Statistical Package of the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 23. The 
chi-square (χ2), a non-parametric test was employed to examine the effects of residential segregation 
(independent variable) on housing, quality of the environment, economic and quality of life of respondents 
(dependent variable) in the study area. The study identified increase in demand for housing, decrease in 
income, poor access to jobs, concentration of poverty, economic hardship, long travel distances to work 
and decrease in income of households were the major effects of residential segregation in the study area. 
Also, the study observed that residential segregation has a significant impact on housing, economic 
outcomes, quality of life and quality of the environment of respondents in the study area. The study 
therefore recommends that to reduce the problem of increased housing demand in segregated 
neighbourhoods, the government and private developers are encouraged to provide affordable low-cost 
housing schemes for low-income residents.