Environmental Effects of Abandoned Properties in Ogbomoso and Osogbo, Nigeria

Abstract

This study appraises the effects of landed property abandonment in Osogbo and Ogbomoso. Information on each of the observed effects was obtained through the administration of 658 structured questionnaires (304 and 354 for Ogbomosho and Osogbo respectively) to 25 sampled blocks from each city, sampling 20 respondents from each block. Case records from hospitals and police stations in the study area were also analyzed in the study. All observed environmental effects were ranked with N par and Kruskal-walis test. ANOVA and chi-square test were used to explain the variation in the incidence of environmental effects among the residential densities. Correlation analysis was also used to explain the relationship between the incidence of abandonment and variables of environmental problems. Effects observed include pollution, health problem, city’s financial loss, obscenity, crime, property value decline, development control problem, wastage of resources, dangerous reptiles, accident and vagrancy. The brunt of abandonment is found to be more in the medium residential density. The study thus recommends an aggressive environmental management that offsets blighted conditions in the environment.Keywords: Effects, Buildings, Lots, Abandonment, Landed Properties, Environment