Domestic Electric Power Generator Usage and Residents Livability Milieu in Ogbomoso, Nigeria

Abstract

Incessant electric power failures have forced Nigerian residents into extensive use of electric power generator. This implicates a host of environmental livability glitches. This study therefore appraises the livability implications of domestic usage of electric power generators. The relative incidence of generator use was appraised. Residents’ livability was also assessed across the three recognizable residential densities of the city having 20 political wards. Out of the total 561, 56 urban blocks (10%) were sampled. A questionnaire was administered to 511 respondents using a multi stage approach. Noise dosimeter was used to measure the noise level. Likert scaling method was used in the transformation of ordinal data into ratio or interval data. Regression analysis was used to explain the relationship between the relative incidence of electric generator use (GUI) and the relative level of residents’ livability (RLI) in the study. A high level incidence of power outage (81%) was observed to have encouraged a high incidence (78.6%) of electric generator use. There was observed a reliable relationship between relative incidence of electric generator use and residents’ livability(R = -811, P = .000). Economic, health and social components (in the order of listing) are affected by the use of electric generators. The study thus recommends physical, environmental, legal and administrative resolutions to eliminate the negative effects of electric power generator use.