AN ASSESSMENT OF INTENSIVE UTILIZATION OF RESIDENTIAL LAND IN LAGOS METROPOLIS, NIGERIA

Abstract

Land is n essential commodity in a society; its supply is limited and cannot be significantly increased to ensure sufficient housing; hence there is need for maximum use of available land. Therefore, this study aimed at assessing intensive utilization of residential land in Lagos Metropolis with a view to ascertaining maximum use of residential land use in the city. The study was carried out in Lagos due to high demand of residential land with few available lands to sustain the demand. Six estates were selected from the three senatorial districts to ensure that the whole of Lagos Metropolis was represented; the estates contain low and high rise buildings of low and medium densities. The estates were: Tajudeen Olanrewaju Housing Estate, Lagos HOMS Ilupeju (Central senatorial district); Safe Court, Crown Estate (East senatorial district), Gowon Estate and Gemade Estate (West senatorial district). These estates possessed the characteristics of other estates in each senatorial district, in addition to easy accessibility to the estates. The target population comprised three categories namely: occupiers of residential properties within the selected estates, Estate Surveyors and Valuers/ facility managers managing the estates and Officers of Physical Planning Authority covering the selected estates. The Yemane (1967) formula for sample size was adopted for three estates while Census method was adopted for the other three estates because the total number of houses occupied is relatively low and manageable. The total sample size for occupiers of residential properties within the selected estates was 821derived from the sampling frame of 1347, for Estate Surveyors and Valuers/ facility managers managing the estates (6) and officers of Physical Planning Authority covering the selected estates (4). Data collected were analysed using descriptive statistics (frequencies and percentages tables, weighted mean score), inferential statistics (factor analysis) and land use intensity percentage to determine the level of intensity of land use. Zoning, building permit / approval and building height control were the major land use regulations that limited intensive use of residential land in the study area as revealed by the respondents. The extent of use of residential land in the study area having considered the number of approved floors by the Planning Authority showed that the residential lands were intensively used except Gowon Estate. Cost of land acquisition; cost of construction, state of economy and income of the land owner were the major factors that affected intensive utilization of residential land in the study area. The study also revealed that users of residential land were satisfied with the intensive utilization of residential land having analysed their level of satisfaction based on four different elements: physical; environmental; functional, social/economic. Based on the findings of the study, it was concluded that intensive utilization of residential land was affected by some factors which can be controlled by the government to ensure maximum use of residential land in the study area. As recommendations, there was need for government to review some of the existing land use regulations such as; the building height control, building permit and approval to meet high demand for residential land through intensive utilization of residential land; government should discourage high cost of land by disallowing third party in land transaction, also to ensure stability of economy to avoid incessant increase in the cost of building construction among others.