Department of Geography
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- ItemOpen AccessSexual networking in Freetown against the background of the AIDS epidemic(National Center for Epidemiology and Population Health (NCEPH), The Australian National University., 1995) Adegbola, O; Babatola, O; Oni, JFull Papers attached.
- ItemOpen AccessPlant - The Renewable Green Gold(University of Lagos Press, 1997-05-07) Odeyemi, S. ONigeria with an estimated population of 105.3 million people occupies an area of 911.00km2 (1). The amalgamation of the Southern and Northern Protectorates in 1914 constituted a deliberate Divine plan to give the black race the largest single conglomeration of black Negro people in the world. Nigeria is watered by the rain laden wind which during a particular period of the year blows over the Atlantic ocean towards the northern direction. Because of this, the rainfall diminishes from the South to the North. To a large extent, the pattern of rainfall distribution has given rise to the following vegetation belts: The mangrove forest alongside the coast. The evergreen forest. The rain forest The deciduous forest Derived Guinea Savannah The Southern Guinea Savannah The Northern Guinea Savannah The Sudan Savannah The Sahel Savannah Nigeria therefore is a land from which grow various types of plants: Vegetables, creeping plants, shrubs, trees of various girths and heights. During the rainy reason, the vegetation displays its wares of different flowers, aroma and colours. The scents attract all kinds of insects.
- ItemOpen AccessA Geographical Overview of Africa(General African Studies Programme, 1998) Ekpeyong, J.O; Babatola, O; Oni, F.OFull papers attached.
- ItemOpen AccessPremarital and extramarital sex in Lagos, Nigeria(Australian National University, 1999) Adegbola, O; Babatola, OIn view of the need for information on which to base future interventions on sexual behaviour, this paper examines AIDS awareness and perception, as well as sexual practices among the metropolitan population of Lagos, Nigeria. There is a fairly high but recent level of awareness of AIDS and some scepticism about its incurability. Some high-risk premarital and extramarital sexual patterns are observed. These show the importance to the study of inter-spousal intimacy as well as two other contextually-relevant variables. (author's) Language.
- ItemOpen AccessMarital closeness and the likelihood of extramarital sex: a comparative analysis of Lagos and Freetown(Canberra Australian National University, Australia, 1999) Adegbola, O; Babatola, OThe relationship between inter-spousal intimacy and the tendency to suspect partners of sexual infidelity is analysed using data from Lagos and Freetown. The relationship between the practice of extramarital sex and the same set of intimacy variables is also analysed. The particular circumstances of the two cities may have affected the relevance of the intimacy variables in explaining the variations in the incidence of extramarital sex.
- ItemOpen AccessGenerational controversy on sexual activity in the context of the AIDS epidemic: evidence from Lagos(Canberra Australian National University, Australia, 1999) Babatola, O; Adegbola, OThis paper focuses on the generational debate on sexual behaviour within the context of vulnerability to HIV infection. It operationalizes the generation concept against Nigeria’s historical background and seeks variations in the patterns of selected sexual variables between and among generational groups. It appears that divergency in sexual behaviour along generational lines is not as strong as some scholars have suggested
- ItemOpen AccessAn Analysis of Flood Risk and Defence in the Western Niger Delta.(SCIENCE PRESS, NEW YORK, USA., 2002) Fasona, M.J; Tejuosho, O.J; Odunuga, S.SThis paper employs Remote Sensing and GIS methodologies to study the vulnerability of the western Niger Delta to flood risk and reported that about 27percent and 63 percent of the land respectively lie below 1m and 5m above the mean sea level. It captures the different adaptive strategies employed by the local populations to respond to flood risk. The paper was published by the Science Press of New York as part of the peer-reviewed proceeding of Flood Defence 2002. It is no doubt a very good reading in local adaptive strategies to flood risk management
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- ItemOpen AccessCumulative environmental change and the lower Niger(International Association of Hydrological Sciences (IAHS), UK., 2003) Odunuga, S.S; Tejuosho, O.J; Fasona, M.JThis paper assessed the cumulative environmental change expected through deforestation and its potential impacts on the water resources potentials of the lower Niger environment.
- ItemOpen AccessThe Challenge of Spatial Data Infrastructure for Effective Planning in Developing Countries – The Nigeria Example(Proceedings of the 21st International Cartographic Conference, Durban, South Africa, 10-16 August, 2003, 2003) Fasona, M.JThe need for spatial data infrastructure in Nigeria has never been pertinent than now. The last one and half years marked tremendous growth in the telecommunication industry in Nigeria. With the debut of the global system of mobile (GSM) technology came an increase in demand for geospatial data for network propagation planning. It came as a shock to some that spatial data that are often available as commercial off the shelf (COTS) commodity in other parts of the world are very difficult to come by in Nigeria. This paper therefore examines the status of spatial data in Nigeria, the challenges facing spatial data infrastructure (SDI), current SDI efforts and initiatives, as well as the prospects for the future
- ItemOpen AccessCoastal Flooding Risk and Community Adaptive Strategies in the Western Niger Delta(Environment and Behaviour Association of Nigeria, 2003) Fasona, M.JThe Western Niger Delta is an extensive low-lying area exposed to flood risk for several months during the year from excessive discharge from sediment-laden Niger River, high rainfall from the area and coastal storm surges. This study employs remote sensing data and GIS to delineate and classify the susceptibly of the study area to flood risk. Economic and social implications of regular seasonal flooding of the area were also considered. The results show that a total land surface of about 3183.45km2 lies below 5m i.e. (between very high and moderate flood risk) and 1407km2 of this lies below 1m (i.e. very high flood risk). 88 built up areas (30 % of the total) with total area of about 9.69km2, and 78.1km2 of cultivated lands are always at the risk of serious impact by seasonal flooding. Local adaptive strategies of the inhabitants were examined and environmentally sustainable and locally appropriate coastal zone management strategies for flood management in the study area are suggested.
- ItemOpen AccessHydrological disaster monitoring using GIS in parts of the Niger Floodplain(Tsinghua University Press, China,, 2004) Fasona, M.J; Omojola, A.SThe frequency of occurrences of flood hazards is likely to increase because of increasing uncertainties in the natural-physical systems resulting from climatic change and variability. This will likely increase human risk in the floodplain because the search for livelihood and the home perception of people may continue to outweigh their desire to move from an original place. This study creates and analyses a GIS database for the settlements and resources lying in parts of the Niger floodplain. Existing base maps and socio-economic data for settlements were integrated with other data layers within Arcview GIS. The results show that 17,276km2 or 69% of the area under assessment is devoted to agriculture. 648 settlements, 50 of which can be classified as urban areas fall within the floodplain. The database also provides a useful baseline data for further large scale (small area) assessment of impacts and mitigative strategies for flood, and blueprint for indicative planning within this part of the Niger floodplain.
- ItemOpen AccessHydrology of a small urban environment(British Hydrological Society (BHS), LONDON, UK, 2004) Odunuga, S.S; Adedayo, V.T; Fasona, M.J; Tejuosho, O.JUsing a case study approach in a local environment in Lagos, the paper investigated the nexus between population pressure and unplanned land-use activities and confirmed that it exacerbates flooding in Lagos metropolis.
- ItemOpen AccessDegree of Compactness of Local Government Areas in Nigeria(Geoinformation Society of Nigeria (GEOSON), 2004) Omojola, A.S; Fasona, M.JVarious reasons have been adduced for the creation and increasing demand for local government administration in Nigeria. Most often than none, geography and space is not always considered. This is the reason while in most cases local governments are created with controversial headquarters. In other words, in Nigeria, local governments are created first and the headquarters becomes an insolvable political decision. GIS is vital in drawing of political district boundaries and in delineating boundaries for local government administration. This paper discusses the compactness and other spatial indices and attributes of the local government areas in Nigeria using GIS. Markurdi (Benue), Sokoto North (Sokoto), Nembe (Bayelsa), Igbo-Eze North (Enugu), Hadejia (Jigawa) and Yola South (Adamawa) are the LGAs with the best regularity having ci of 1.06, 1.08, 1.09, 1.09, 1.09 and 1.09 respectively. On the other extreme are Bakassi (Cross River), Mbo (Akwa-Ibom) and Mokwa (Niger) LGAs with ci of 7.91, 3.88 and 3.13 respectively.
- ItemOpen AccessGIS and Remote Sensing for Urban Planning: A Case of Festac town, Lagos, Nigeria.(Gavle University Press,SWEDEN, 2004) Fasona, M.J; Omojola, A.SThis study assesses the extent of encroachments into the original acquisitions of Festac town using SPOT XS satellite imagery and also investigates the extent of conversion of open spaces in the developed area of Festac town to other land uses using GIS techniques. Original Masterplans were digitally converted and integrated with remote sensing and field work data. The results show that encroachments into the original Festac acquisition have already been noted towards the west and north of the area. About 1.42 km2 (142 ha) has already been affected. For the developed area of Festac, open green spaces reduced from about 0.2 km2 (20 ha) to only 0.003 km2 (0.3 ha). Residential houses and shops/shopping malls have virtually taken over the designated open spaces accounting for 35% and over 30% of the original areas allocated for open spaces. Only 1.6%, 4.9% and 1.4% respectively of the designated land area for open spaces still serve the purpose of functional open spaces, functional playground and open green spaces as opposed to their original allocations of 32.5%, 2.6% and 64.3% respectively. The implication of these on the liveability of Festac town, and city/urban planning is also examined.
- ItemOpen AccessClimate Change, Human Security and Communal Clashes in Nigeria.(Global Environmental Change and Human Security (GECHS), OSLO, NORWAY, 2005) Fasona, M.J; Omojola, A.SThe debate on climatic change and variability as it is now concentrate more on likely global and regional futuristic occurrences which may be triggered off by the climatic anomalies of the past and present. Much as this is valid, the vulnerability and (likely) adjustments or coping mechanisms of people to the vagaries of climate is best understood at micro and meso levels. More importantly, the global chain-effects of macro climate variability may not give clue to how climate change affects human security at individual and communal levels. Struggle for diminishing resources has increased as a result of climate variability. communal and ethic clashes over who owns the land and the struggle for control of exploitation of mineral resources has indeed increase especially in the highly populated countries of the developing world. In Nigeria, many communal clashes (often mis-interpreted or mis-represented as ethnic and religious clashes) are actually struggle over either the control of land or mineral resources or both. In the northern and middle parts of the country, the cereal-productive Sudan savannah ecology is transiting to pure Sahel and the influence of the Sahara is increasing southwards. In the same vein, the root and tuber productive ecology of the Guinea Savannah is giving way to Sudan Savannah grassland. The predominant Fulani herdsman of the lower Sahel and Sudan savannah ecologies is now moving South - to the Guinea Savannah and Forest belt of the South - to find greener pasture for his herds. This is not acceptable to the root and tuber farmers of the Guinea Savannah that is already farming close to the climatic margin of cultivation. He has the fears that Fulani herds will destroy his farmlands. The natural result is clash over right to the lands. The Southern Nigeria scenario is a little different but plays out the same. By nature, 50% of the lands in the Niger Delta are not workable due to the edaphic and physiographic limitations imposed by drainage. Secondly, all the lands in the south including the 50% agriculturally productive lands have been parceled to Multinational Oil Corporations as Oil Mining Leases (OML) and/or Oil Prospecting Leases (OPL) by the government. By implication, the real owners - the natives - are only farming on the lands for a moment. Oil exploration activities on productive lands coupled with widespread depletion of resources from both natural and anthropogenic factors drive the people to the margin of survival. Hence, the recourse to communal clashes over who owns the lands yet to be taken over and then arm struggle with oil companies and the government for a better deal. This paper presented a picture of rainfall changes (which is a critical element of climate and climatic changes in tropical Africa) in the guinea-sudan-sahel (GSS) zone of Nigeria. Virtually all the stations in the Sahel region recorded deficit (less than average) rainfall over a 6 decade (1940-2000) period. The decade 1950s recorded the highest rainfall while the decade 1980s had the least rainfall from the total decadal mean. The pattern of land cover changes between 1976 and 1995 strongly indicated loss of prime arable lands resulting from climate change, which is in turn leading to opening up of new virgin lands towards the south. This correlated with the pattern of communal clashes and conflicts over land resources which are more common in the guinea savannah zone, rainforest belt and the mangrove ecology. Of the 37 cases of communal clashes reviewed, 19 cases representing about 51% were basically crisis/clashes triggered by land resources. 13 of them were basically agricultural land related, 4 on oil and environment and 2 on urban lands. The spatial perspectives of these clashes show more cases around the guinea savannah zone, the rain forest belt and the mangrove ecology of the Niger Delta. No land related clashes occurred in the Sahel and upper Sudan savannah zone. It is recommended that any policy aim at reducing ethnic conflicts and communal clashes in Nigeria must necessarily be imbued with programmes that have objectives of making more arable lands available through restoration of already degraded and impoverished lands. Alternative solution to the long and short range transhumance agriculture of the cattle Fulanis in Nigeria through the development of intensive small area grazing which are equipped with facilities that can ensure quick re-growth and regeneration of grasses to ensure continuous feed for animals is also necessary. The spate of oil and environment related crisis which is endemic to the mangrove ecology of the Niger Delta can be reduced through sound proactive land use and resource planning with the view to locate local coastal resources that will provide alternative viable income and livelihood sources to the inhabitants in areas where less oil related ecological risks are involved
- ItemOpen AccessAn Appraisal of Sustainable Water Management Solutions for Large Cities in Developing Countries through GIS - A Case of Lagos, Nigeria(International Association of Hydrological Sciences (IAHS), UK, 2005) Fasona, M.J; Omojola, A.S; Odunuga, S.S; Tejuosho, O.J; Amogu, NProvision of water for the population is a social responsibility of governments. Managing water resources to meet the target demands of the population requires various demand and supply optimizations. Geographic information systems (GIS) have been embraced to sustainably manage public water supply in most cities of the developed countries. The City of Lagos, which is growing at an annual rate of about 7%, is expected to increase by nearly ten million people between now and 2015. Hence, the task of providing potable water for this teeming population is great. This paper appraises the City of Lagos with its peculiarities, and the state of water provision and population growth. Less than 50% of water demand in Lagos is presently met through public water supply. While potable water production has increased by 61% over the 1977 figure, the population has increased by 320%. The prospects and framework required for managing water problems in Lagos through GIS are also examined.
- ItemOpen AccessAspects of Climate Change and Resource Conflicts in the Nigeria Savannah.(Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), SWITZERLAND, 2007) Fasona, M.J; Omojola, A.S; Adeaga, O.A; Dabi, DThis study analyses the pattern of rainfall anomalies and its relation with ecosystems changes and vulnerability of rural communities in the Nigeria Savannah. 60-year observed rainfall data for 22 stations over the Savannah was analyzed for spatial and temporal anomalies. Ecosystems change analysis was done using 19-year two-time landcover data. A simplified vulnerability index using multicriteria analysis was developed for about 750 communities using ecological zone, settlement status, administrative status, and the degree to which communities are tied to the land as candidate variables. Results obtained showed that the 60-year long term annual mean and standard deviation for the Nigeria Savannah are 942mm and 270mm respectively. Correspondingly, the long term decadal mean and standard deviation are 976mm and 75mm respectively. The spatial pattern shows very high negative anomaly over the Sahel fringes and upper Sudan zones and high positive anomalies around the Guinea zones which reduce towards the lower Sudan zone. The influence of local perturbations is captured by the localized high positive anomaly around the highlands and very high negative anomalies around the inland basins. All the 4 stations in the Sahel zone and 6 in the upper Sudan zones recorded negative standardized rainfall. The temporal anomaly shows that the decades 1970s and 1980s are the driest in the Savannah over the last 60 years. Results from landcover and ecosystems changes indicate that general agricultural landuse increased by 20% between 1976 and 1995. In specifics, agricultural tree and crop production decreased by 30%, while rainfed arable crop production, extensive small holder rainfed agriculture with denuded areas, and extensive grazing areas increased by about 8000%, 129%,and 13% respectively. Water impoundments (reservoir and dams) increased by 115% and floodplain agriculture and irrigation agriculture increased by 110% and 572% respectively. Grassland increased by 121%, wood and shrublands decreased by about 37%, forest reduced by 17%, and aeolian sands and gullies increased about 428% and 15,000%. 231 of the sampled communities (23 in the Sahel zone and 208 in the Sudan zone) fall under the high vulnerability category. The spatial pattern of vulnerability of the communities to climate change and its effects clearly confirms that the trajectory of resource conflict in the Nigeria Savannah is towards the south of the Sudan zone. The paper also suggested necessary adaptation strategies to combat longterm implications of climate change in the Savannah.
- ItemOpen AccessMapping land degradation and forest resource loss from fused Landsat TM and Nigeriasat-1 images in some parts of the southwest coast of Nigeria.(International Association of Hydrological Sciences, 2007) Fasona, M.J; Omojola, A.S; Onyeahialam, A.IThis research quantifies forest resources and describes its spatial pattern, configuration and arrangement in parts of southwest cost of Nigeria. Band 1 and 7 of Landsat TM were fused with band 2 of NigeriaSat-1 to generate a hybrid image. Unsupervised image classes were vectorised and allocated into information classes. From the results, human interference is on the increase with about 25% of the land under cultivation, about 800km2 (40%) of forest is still standing and forest degradation has accounted for 7%. Landscape pattern indices suggest the area presently consists of several variable, irregular, jointed, but rich patches. The level of disturbance has not significantly affected the connectivity and feedback functions of the ecosystems. Considering the anticipated increase in demand for agricultural lands in the near future, designating the area an ecological reserve for eco-tourism is suggested as probably the only way to protect the remaining forest stands
- ItemOpen AccessAn overview of the Cartographic Utility of NigeriaSat-1 Images(Nigerian Carthographic Association, 2007) Uluocha, N. OOn September 27,2003 Nigeria proudly joined the elite club of nations who own and operate spaceborne remote sensing satellite systems. On that very day Nigeria made an indelible historic inroad into the annals of time following the successful launch of her first ever satellite (NigeriaSat-l) in Plesetsk, Russia. NigeriaSat-l was one of the seven Earth Observation Satellites (EOS) launched worldwide in 2003. One of the major factors that necessitated the putting into orbit of NigeriaSat-l by the Nigerian government was the felt need to rapidly provide environmental data for various mapping purposes. Till date a critical and comprehensive evaluation of the actual economic benefits of the Nigeria Sat-l project in general, and its cartographic benefits in particular, is yet to be done. No doubt it would prove to be a worthwhile exercise to objectively appraise the real contributions of the NigeriaSat-l venture to the growth and development of the Nigerian economy. While we await that desirable economic appraisal, this paper is primarily concerned with a technical assessment BAI of the usefulness of NigeriaSat-I imagery for cartographic applications. The paper further highlights some of the strengths and shortfalls of NigeriaSat-l image data in relation to various mapping purposes. Some suggestions are also made towards improving the utilization of the satellite data for mapping in particular and national development in general.