Comparative Analysis of Infrastructural Facility Availability at Resettlement Schemes in Parts of Niger State, Nigeria

Abstract

The sustainability of resettlement has one underlying goal of reinstating affected inhabitants quickly into their normal lives and if possible, more improved and lasting situations. Achieving this goal comes with implicit and explicit challenges that arise because of land acquisition, compensation and integrating resettled communities into their new homes through community participation. This paper compares infrastructure and facilities in resettlement schemes in Niger State and adopted quantitative and qualitative research techniques, and data acquired through structural questionnaire and personal physical observations. Data collected were subjected to descriptive statistical analyses that show that the majority of respondents, about 56%, are not satisfied with housing facilities they were resettled into, 32.1% are fairly satisfied with health facilities, 56% satisfied with both educational and water facilities. It was also discovered that infrastructure facilities were better in New Bussa compared to other resettlement sites of New Akere, New Gbajibo and New Muregi that in addition lack basic facilities such as schools, health and water. The study concludes that despite many challenges that the government experienced in this resettlement programmes, there are evidences that clearly show pockets of success of the programme in certain aspects. The current government-centred resettlement practices is in need of urgent revision to ensure equal participation by all the stakeholders - emphasizing that development interventions should be implemented together with the affected community. This participatory approach is needed to give more emphasis to developing integrative, flexible, people-centred, bottom-up, and less costly approaches to resettlement and overall development.