ANALYSIS OF INTRA-CITY RESIDENTIAL MOBILITY IN KADUNA METROPOLIS, NIGERIA

Abstract

Household movement in cities has attracted research interest especially in developed countries. Interest in residential mobility has focused on housing affordability, increased externalities, dissatisfaction with present accommodation and changes in household structure. These factors encourage gradual relocation of households within cities. However, the massive residential mobility informed by religious and ethnic intolerance in Kaduna metropolis has received limited empirical attention. This study empirically identified factors that occasioned the dynamics of intra-city residential mobility in Kaduna metropolis, Nigeria from 1997 to 2011.

The Push-pull theory of migration provided the conceptual framework, while Schelling’s tipping model was applied to explain the pattern of movements within the metropolis. A survey design was adopted. A multi-stage sampling technique was used to purposively select four Local Government Areas (LGAs), 21 wards and 1,036 heads of household. Structured questionnaire was used to elicit information on socio-demographic characteristics, pattern, volume, tenure, residential satisfaction and distance between origin and destination. Descriptive statistics, logistic regression, Pearson Product Moment Correlation and Multigroup Dissimilarity Index were used for data analyses at p<0.05.

Age of respondents was 43±12.7 years and 45.7% of the households relocated. There was a cross-sectional pattern of movement in the metropolis as households relocated to neighbourhoods occupied by people of similar socio-cultural traits. Religion (10.980) significantly contributed to residential mobility, while age (1.131), income (0.072), household size (2.836), education (13.662), occupation (9.078), marital status (3.063) and tribe (2.477) were not significant. Although education has relatively higher Wald coefficient, nevertheless, it was not significant (Sig. 0.058). Households relocated into a room (12.7%), room and parlour (45.7%), self-contained apartment (15.0%), two-bedroom flats (14.6%) and three bedroom flats and above (12.0%) in the metropolis between 1997 and 2011. About 64% of the households were tenants, while 80.9% experienced residential satisfaction at their new locations. About 65% of the households relocated within 0.5km, while 25.7% between 6-10km and 8.8% between 11-15km thus representing short, medium and long distances respectively. The number of households that relocated was inversely related to the distances over which they relocated (r=-0.317). Christians dominated Chikun LGA, while Muslims dominated Igabi, Kaduna North and Kaduna South LGAs. The index of segregation was 0.58. This index was relatively high and revealed the polarization of the metropolis along religious identities.

Religious intolerance motivated residential mobility in Kaduna metropolis from 1997 to 2011. The need for policies to promote socio-cultural and peaceful co-existence is required to redress religion driven mobility within the metropolis.

Keywords: Intra-city residential mobility, Kaduna metropolis, Household movement

Words count: 401