Spatial assessment of Land use/Land cover in Informal Settlements of North‐Central Nigeria

Abstract

Informal settlements remain a major challenge for urban planning, administration, and sustainable development in North‐Central Nigeria. The rapid expansion of settlements undermines resilience planning and adaptive management, as limited knowledge on spatial growth and land use/land cover (LULC) dynamics. The study evaluates spatial variations in informal settlements across selected states in North‐Central Nigeria. Three states (Kogi, Benue, Plateau) and the Federal Capital Territory were purposively selected, focusing on capital cities where informal settlement growth drives urban expansion. Two informal areas were studied in each state while geospatial tools and GIS techniques were applied to assess LULC changes over the spatiotemporal periods: 2005 – 2024 (Kogi), 2004 –2024 (Benue), 2001–2024 (Plateau), and 2006–2024 (FCT) for which data were available. Findings reveal significant increases (more than 50%) in built‐up development alongside a marked decline in vegetated land (3-25%), indicating rapid spatial transformation of informal communities. The study highlights the urgent need for viable regional land‐use framework, community-based upgrading initiatives, green infrastructure and collaboration among planners and policy makers to ensure coherent and sustainable responses to the growth of informal settlements in North‐Central Nigeria.