Urban Upgrading in the Historic City Core of Abeokuta, Nigeria: A Case for Inclusive Policies Towards Heritage Preservation

Abstract

The rapid urbanization, taking place in Southwest Nigeria in the last 40years has necessitated the need for regenerating the historic city cores of the region. The state governments and big private stakeholders determine the key narratives for the urban upgrades. Loss of patrimonial stock of indigenous buildings and communal cohesion in these enclaves after upgrading often lead to a complete loss of the socio-cultural heritage. The promotion of urban tourism, which is ideal for cities with heritage values, is thus made more challenging for these cities. This study examines the sensitive nature of upgrade programmes as it affects historic city centres. A review of instances in the area is concluded with a case study of the Abeokuta city core. The study was carried out using literature about upgrades in Southwest Nigeria and field studies that involved interviews and questionnaires in Abeokuta city core. The research discovered that while residents are aware of the programmes, they had no input in the planning and implementation, whereas, they appreciate heritage preservation and prefer to be carried along in the planning. The research concluded that more inclusive policy planning and project participation would have entrenched heritage preservation, stemmed the rate of gentrification, and produce more acceptable outcomes.