URBAN RENEWAL STRATEGY AS A VERITABLE TOOL FOR CURBING URBAN SLUM IN BIDA TOWN, NIGER STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

Curbing urban slum in Bida Town, Niger State is a research work which focused on the physical environmental factors affecting the' growth and ~evelopment of towns especially, Bida town. Bida is a traditional town characterized by diverse physical, economic, religious and socio-cultural interactions. This is largely reflected in the physical appearance of the city fabric (architectural designs, places of worships, historical antecedents and processes). These urban processes in Bida Town are much more felt with regards to accommodating contemporary planning principles/standards and the ever rapidly changing technologies. The sources of data include the primary sources (reconnaissance surveys and the use of questionnaires to compound heads, household heads, Bida Town Planning Office and Practicing Estate Surveyors,and Valuers). The secondary sources include the use of relevant Textbooks, Journals and Le~ture notes. Both manual and computer data analysis methods were employed in the course of this research work. The use of tables and combined histograph and line graphs were used to ease the understanding of the study. Among the findings from this research work include: the town is made up of 18 main wards with essentially similar characteristics and development processes; about 80% of the bulk of land in the town is under residential use, there is inadequacy and sometimes total lack of basic infrastructures and services such as portable water, good road and drainage network, health, educational and recreational facilities. It has been recommended in this study that: urban design elements which comprises of Bida city gates and walls, the indigenous mosques, market places and the Emir palace developed from the indigenous planning principles of community security and survival should be preserved. These can be made possible thrOligh the enactment of strict planning Legislations prohibiting further destruction of such impOliant elements.