Analysis of Landuse/Landcover Change in Damaturu Town of Yobe State, Nigeria

Observing land-use/land-cover dynamics in semi-arid environment: Evidence from Damaturu Town and its surrounding lands, Yobe State, Nigeria

“…For example, urbanization and demographic explosion are the key drivers of LULC change across many localities in Nigeria. As in the case of this study, variation in land values and its stratification has greatly led to sprawling out of the town and this consequently expanded the built-up area about four times, from 3.06 km 2 in 1991 to 12.12 km 2 in 1999 (Jajere et al, 2015). It was this increase that expanded the built-up area which resulted in a decrease in bare land from about 81 km 2 to 62 km 2 and a decrease in shrubland from about 41 km 2 to 8 km 2 .…”

“…The primary reason for this growth could largely be attributed to the administrative status of the town as it was made the state headquarters in 1991 after it was carved out from former Borno State. Accordingly, Jajere et al (2015) have similarly reported in a related study that the administrative status of the town in line with agglomerations of government functions as sole drivers of massive built-up area expansion and urbanisation. This is very evident across many cities in Nigeria which happened to be an administrative headquarters (see for example, Ejaro & Abdullahi, 2013;Owoeye & Ibitoye, 2016).…”

“…It should be observed that the built-up area was less in 1987, but it has nearly doubled in size in 2000 as well as in 2017 respectively. It has been reported earlier by Jajere et al (2015) that it was the variation in land values within Damaturu, and social stratification of the lands within the town that set the pace of the town growth and its outward sprawling. This trend could be seen in the area where the sprawling of the built-up area has engulfed most of the cultivated fields (farmlands), especially in the northern part of the town which was agricultural land in the year 1987 and 2000.…”

“…It was this increase that expanded the built-up area which resulted in a decrease in bare land from about 81 km 2 to 62 km 2 and a decrease in shrubland from about 41 km 2 to 8 km 2 . According to Jajere et al, (2015) highlighted factors such as the siting of the administrative offices and housing estates at the fringes of the town were the primary drivers of the town growth in the past years.…”

“…As builtup areas, developmental infrastructures and farmlands extended outwardly from the main town. consequently, the virgin arable lands populated with shrubs and valuable trees were cleared and transformed in a significant way (Babagana-Kyari & Maina-Bukar, 2018;Jajere et al, 2015). Consequently, these developments have led to various conflicting LULC modifications adding much pressure to the entire town and its delicate surrounding virgin land cover in the last two to three decades.…”