The Dialectics between Physical Plans and Physical Development in Contemporary Urban Nigeria: Empirical Evidence from the Kighir-Adeke Layout, Makurdi, Nigeria

This paper demonstrates the conflict between a land use plan and actual physical development on ground in Kighir/Adeke, a residential neighborhood in Makurdi town, Nigeria. To accomplish this study the physical development plan of the Kighir-Adeke neighborhood was acquired from the Benue State Urban Development Board (BSUDB) and its land use activity details scrutinized. And using the layout plan as guide, a thorough inventory of physical development activities on ground in the plan area was compiled during field survey in 2010 with the aid of field assistants. This was then compared with the land use activity proposals on the plan to ascertain the level of compliance and or contraventions of physical development carried out. The Chi square statistic was then applied to test the significant level of the results. The result shows that while 40% of physical development in the area complies with physical plan, an overwhelming 60% majority of physical development contravenes the plan of the area; and that 85% of contraventions are due to conversions of undeveloped community facilities while 57% of the conversions are to residential uses. It has been recommended that government should play out its pivotal role of stimulating orderly physical development by promptly providing physical infrastructure as proposed by the plan accordingly. And that the development control agency should be overhauled and corrupt officials fished out then more personnel and machinery should be provided for the agency to be more functional.