The study examined the effects of flood risk levels on food security, livelihood and socio-economic characteristics in the flood-prone areas of the core Niger Delta, Nigeria using a descriptive survey design and 790 respondents were selected with the aid of a multistage stratified sampling technique in Bayelsa, Delta and Rivers States, representing the core Niger Delta. Descriptive statistics were used in the analysis and presentation of data. The findings of the study showed that 75.3% of the respondents agreed that basic food is scarce after all flood incident. However, 69.9% attested to the fact that growth and development of crops are affected when flood washes away farmlands. It can also be seen that flood increases food insecurity, unavailability of staple food and malnutrition as agreed by 78.3% of the total respondents. Furthermore, 77.1% of respondents agreed that flood increases the inability of plants to absorb essential nutrients necessary for proper growth while 71.4% agreed that flooding leads to the erosion or loss of the nutritional status of crops planted in the communities. Also, 69.9% agreed that the washing away of farmlands have led to chronic, long-lasting food insecurity in the communities. Further evidence from the study shows that 75.6% of respondents agreed that the incident of flood leads to acute food insecurity which affects the livelihood of the residents. It is also revealed that flood affects households or residents' investments (64.7%) and losing occupation and source of income from flooding leads to difficulty in caring for the children (60.9%). It is concluded that floods have reduced the efficiencies of farmland in terms of food production causing food insecurity, income reduction and poor livelihood among the residents of the core the Niger Delta States. The study, therefore, recommended that communities should advocate, promote and inculcate the spirit of the commitment of individuals and households towards the continued and holistic development (via social, economic, health, and infrastructural), food security, and increased livelihood in flood-prone communities. The Ministry of Agriculture should ensure that smart agriculture is adopted as a way out to resolve the issues of flood-induced food insecurity and structural measures like dams, culverts, drainages and ditches should be constructed by government and her intervention agencies to accommodate and reduce the runoff or overflow of floodwaters which causes severe social, economic and infrastructural damages or impacts during flooding.

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This study examines the use of GIS and Remote Sensing in Mapping Land Use/Land Cover changes in the University of Port Harcourt host communities, mainly Choba, Aluu and Alakahia, between 2005-2010 and 2010-2015, to recognise the changes that have taken place in these peri-urban areas within the period of study. The study aim is to detect and map the land use/land cover of the area over a period of 10 years (2005-2015). Three data set of Landsat Satellite images were layer-stacked, after which supervised classification in EARDAS imagine software was carried out and mapping in Arc GIS software were carried out. Five land use and land cover categories were distinguished: built-up areas, cultivation, vegetation, and water body. The results of the study show rapid growth in built-up land between 2010 and 2015, whereas the periods between 2005 and 2010 witnessed an increase in this class also. The rapid increase in built-up areas revealed by the study is due to the rapid urbanization and industrialization in the peri-urban area. It was further observed that the increasing population of students in the area brings about much more demand on housing, which resulted in a great detrimental effect on the land cover of the area in recent years. The study, therefore, recommends, amongst others, the regulation of land use in the peri-urban area, encouragement of afforestation by government and other critical stakeholders, and provision of a mitigating control measure to realistically address the contemporary issues of rapid urbanization in the peri-urban areas.

Urbanization and its effect on housing for the urban poor cannot be over-emphasized particularly in the cities of the global south. The meaning that is attributed to such terms as ‘urbanization’ and ‘urban poor housing’ is frequently wide ranging and not precisely defined. Nevertheless, urban poor housing and urbanization are topical issues at local, regional and international levels which attracts the attention of policy makers and professionals. This study therefore, investigated urbanization and its effects on housing for the urban poor in Uyo metropolis, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. It adopted a cross-sectional research design, which involves the administration of the research questionnaire to the selected respondents in the study area. The responses of the respondents were analyzed using a descriptive statistical tool. The result of the investigation revealed that the majority of the apartments occupied by the urban poor in Uyo metropolis are mostly single rooms and self-contained which are mostly overcrowded. Many of the houses occupied by the urban poor do not have kitchen, toilet, and bathroom in them. Urban poor in the study area are mostly faced with problems of dirty environment, poor power supply, insecurity and lack of basic social amenities. The respondents affirmed that the houses are overcrowded while the nature of crime faced by the urban poor in the study area includes kidnapping (8.5%), pickpocket (22.4%) robbery (46.1%) and rape (23.1%) respectively. The study therefore, recommended amongst others, the provision of basic infrastructures such as electricity, good roads, educational institutions, pipe-borne water, etc. in the urban poor neigbourhoods, rehabilitating of the urban poor neighbourhoods through urban renewal strategies and reducing of the accessibility gap to urban facilities and services between the urban poor and other residents of the city. The study further recommends the utilization of sustainable strategies by the government of Akwa Ibom State to reduce the high rate of rural-urban migration noticed in the study area and the systematic overhauling of the security architecture in Uyo metropolis.

The constant conflicts between crop farmers and cattle herders over the years in the Sahel savanna region, particularly the Northeast geopolitical region of Nigeria has been a recurring issue claiming several lives and properties without any holistic approach by the government to ameliorate or solve the problem. In contemporary times, the conflict has assumed a dangerous dimension and therefore, requires urgent measures to curb the menace. It is against this background that this study seeks to investigate the impacts of crop farmers' and cattle herders' conflict on community development in Adamawa State, Nigeria. Three (3) Local Government Areas (LGA) in the state were purposively selected from the 3 senatorial zones in the state. This was followed by the selection of 21 crop farmers and 21 cattle herders from each of the 3 LGAs through purposive and random sampling techniques to obtain a sample size of 126 respondents. Data were gathered with the aid of structured questionnaires and structured interview schedules. Focus Group Discussion (FGD) was also conducted with separate groups of cattle herders and crop farmers. Descriptive statistics (mean, frequency counts, percentages) were used to describe the personal characteristics of crop farmers and cattle herders, inferential statistics (Logit regression, chi-square) were used to determine the factors responsible for the cause of conflict and the relationship between the conflict and community development indices in the study area. Results from the findings shows that majority of the crop farmers and cattle herders are male, the perceived causes of the conflicts include encroachment of grazing reserve by farmers, the encroachment of stock route by farmers, grazing of crops by the herders and non-accessibility to water points by the two groups. The study further revealed major impacts of these conflicts to include loss of human lives and reduced household income, reduced access to agricultural land and destruction of infrastructural facilities. The conflict resolution strategies adopted includes but not limited to reactivation of existing grazing reserves, sensitization of conflicting parties by community leaders and amendment of laws on grazing reserves. Finally, the study further linked these constant conflicts to the very poor community development in Adamawa State. The study recommended formal education for both farmers and herders, sensitization of the crop farmers and cattle herders by the government and community leaders on the need for both groups to coexist and implementation of the existing laws on grazing reserves and land use policies by the government.