This paper assessed the gender travel behavior in IIesa, Nigeria. A total of 1,450 copies of a questionnaire were administered to the sampled population in Ilesa, out which 620 men and 580 women completed the questionnaire. Descriptive and inferential statistics were employed for data presentation. The findings revealed that the mean distance traveled to work for men and woman differs in the city. Further analysis revealed that more than 70% of the women depend on public transport for their day-today transactions. Also, 65% of the men depend on their own personal means of transport to commute to different activity centres in the study area. This implies that men tend to monopolize the personal means of transport available for the entire family. There is a significant relationship between gender travel behavior and trips frequency in the city. The study therefore concluded that there is need to consider gender variation in travel demands particularly with respect to the design and implementation of urban transport policy so as to improve the accessibility characteristics of women to transport services in Ilesa, Nigeria and in other developing countries of the world as a whole.

This study assessed the travel characteristics of the elderly population in Lokoja metropolis in North Central Nigeria. This was with a view to developing a database for proper formulation and implementation of a sustainable transport policy for elderly people in Lokoja metropolis in particular and in Nigeria in general. The introductory part of the paper considers the population of the elderly in different parts of the world, but with an emphasis on Lokoja metropolis of North Central Nigeria. A review of related literature, which forms another section of the work, reveals the age population and travelling preferences and pattern of elderly people in different parts of the world. Both primary and secondary data were elicited for this research. The primary data on the travelling preferences of the elderly were obtained from the three residential areas identified in the city. Materials for the study are of three types: socioeconomics characteristics of the elderly, the purposes for which they embarked on trips, and the mode of transportation and the distance they cover per day. A systematic random sampling procedure was used to select the elderly population in Lokoja. This was based on the principle of one in every tenth building along the major roads in each of the residential areas. A total of 200 elderly people were selected for the questionnaire survey, of whom 197 completed their questionnaires, which were subsequently analysed. The analysis was based on tables and other empirical statistical evidence.

This study examined the accessibility of elderly citizens to some basic services in Akure metropolis. This was carried out with a view to determine the patterns of distribution and accessibility of these services in the city. Primary and secondary data were employed for this study. Geographical Positioning System was used to capture the coordinates of important locations and of some basic facilities such as Public Tertiary Hospital, Primary Health care centre and banks in the city. Nearest Neighbour Analysis was used to calculate the mean distance travel to some basic services from 13 major localities in Akure metropolis. Descriptive and inferential statistics were employed to analyse the data. Finding reveals that some basic facilities are not evenly distributed across different localities in Akure. The mean distance travel to Public Tertiary Hospital is 3.36kms. The pattern of distribution of Public Tertiary Hospital is dispersed rather than random. More than 60% of the elderly rely on public transport services for their trip to access some basic facilities in the city. Traffic delay was ranked highest (66%) among the problems militating against the effective utilisation of urban facilities in Akure metropolis. The study recommends that more basic facilities should be provided in localities where such services are lacking. This would reduce long distance trip to these facilities in the city. The study concludes that better transport services should be made available at reasonable transport fares in order to promote accessibility of the elderly and other segments of the population to urban facilities in Akure and similar other cities in Nigeria.

Many rural households in Nigeria are less accessible to markets to transact their business. Traders travel considerable distance and pay high transport fare to convey their goods to markets for sale. This is because many rural communities are located farther away from where the markets are situated. It is on this background that this study examined the accessibility of traders to markets in some rural communities in Ayedaade Local Government Area of Osun State. Both primary and secondary data were utilized for this research. Three sets of data were required. The first set of data focused on the socio-economic characteristics of traders such as gender classification, family composition, level of education and possession of personal means of transportation. The second data required focused on the travel pattern of rural population to markets taking into account attributes such as distance travelled, mode of transportation mostly used, average travel time and frequency of trip to market in a week. The last category of data elicited was based on constraint of women to access market centres in the region. Descriptive and inferential statistics were employed to analyse the data. Findings reveal that the pattern of distribution of markets is in the study area is dispersed rather than random. Agricultural products and few manufactured goods are traded at Olufi central market in the study area. More than 60% of traders relied on Public transport (motorcycle), which charge exorbitant transport fare to convey their goods to markets. Arrays of goods traded in the market is the first major determinant factor affecting the markets patronized by traders in the council area and this accounts for about 17.53% of the total explained variance of the factor analysis. The study therefore recommends that there is need to provide community based transport services at subsidized rate for rural communities in Nigeria so as to enhance the accessibility of women to markets and participate in other productive activities in the rural areas of Nigeria.

This study examines household accessibility to domestic water supply in Lokoja, North Central Nigeria. Both primary and secondary data were obtained for this research. A systematic random sampling technique was adopted to gather relevant information from two hundred and ten households on their sources of water supply, frequency of trips to water collection points and their perception of quality of domestic water available to them. Relevant information was obtained from archival materials. Tables were employed to analyse the socio-economic composition of the respondents and the sources of water supply in their neighbourhoods. Likerts scale model was used to evaluate the perception of satisfaction on quality and adequacy of domestic water supply in the city. Analysis of Variance was also used to determine the level of satisfaction on the quantity and quality of domestic water supply across various residential areas in Lokoja. Pearson Product Moment Correlation was used to determine the strength of the relationship between domestic water supply on the one hand and income level, education profile and residential characteristics of households on the other hand. Findings reveal that more than 70% of households residing at Zango Daji and Army Barracks areas rely on borehole for their regular water supply. Well water and water from vendors are the principal sources of water for residents of Felele area and these constituted 48.1% and 25.9% respectively. Approximately 100%, 57.7% and 34.6% of urban households that reside at Old Poly Quarters, Lokongoma Phase 1 & 11 and Kabawa areas respectively indicated that they rely on irregular and unpredictable public tap water supply provided by the Kogi State Water Management Board.Urban households perceived and rated the availability and quality of domestic water supply as dissatisfied. There was a positive correlation between sources of domestic  water supply and urban households income level as well as education profile, which was statistically significant (r = .196, n = 189, p = .01) and  (r = .282, n = 189, p = .01). The study recommends the provision of potable water to urban households in order to reduce the vulnerability of urban residents to water borne diseases in Lokoja and environs.