ASSESSMENT OF INFRASTRUCTURAL FACILITIES IN THE NEIGHBOURHOOD MARKETS OF AKURE, NIGERIA

Abstract

This study assessed the infrastructural facilities in the neighbourhood marketplaces with a focus on the recently renewed neighbourhood markets in Akure viz. Afunbiowo market, Ijapo market, Isikan market, Isolo market, NEPA foodstuff market and NEPA ultramodern market. This is to ensure the sustainability of the health and wellbeing of the market users, the marketplaces, the economy and the environment. The study focused on the assessment of the spatial distribution of neighbourhood markets in Akure, identified the operational structure of neighbourhood markets in Akure, examined the condition of infrastructural facilities in the neighbourhood markets, analysed the effect of market infrastructural facilities on market users and the neighbourhood and assessed the effectiveness of market administration in the study area. The key indicators are the spatial distribution of the marketplaces in the study area and the market infrastructures in place. These include roads, the waste management system, electricity supply, the drainage system, the sanitation and hygiene, the stores and the market buildings. To achieve the aim of the study, both primary and secondary data collection sources were used. The primary source used four sets of questionnaire targeting the shop owners/sellers, the buyers, the residents of the buildings around the markets at the 800m radius and the market officials. Personal observations, Global Positioning System (GPS), in-depth interview, and photographic equipment, were all harnessed to support the information gotten from the structured questionnaires. Data collected were subjected to analysis using ArcGIS Software, Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 20, and Microsoft Excel. The secondary data were sourced from relevant agencies in charge of markets administration, software applications (Google earth.com, ArcGIS), published journals (academic books, professional journals) and unpublished journals (publications of government, thesis/dissertations). Variables on the socio-economic characteristics, market locations, market structures, availabilities, adequacies and accessibility to infrastructural facilities, condition of infrastructural facilities, the effect of infrastructural facilities, management and maintenance of infrastructural facilities were used in the analysis and testing of the hypotheses. The result of the study revealed that the average population of the market users earned below ₦20,000 per month which is below the poverty threshold ($1.9), while most of the markets are closely located within a short walkable distance of 800m. Many sellers sold in the open air as well as an undesignated location in the markets as a result of inadequate infrastructural facilities in the neighbourhood markets. The overall condition of all the infrastructural facilities in the neighbourhood markets of Akure city was moderately good. Poor maintenance scheme and defective management policy had affected the maintenance of the infrastructural facilities provided in the markets. The provision of adequate infrastructural facilities, proper management, an improvement in the design of the market and good regulatory policies were suggested to improve the wellbeing of the market users and the residents in the market neighbourhood.