Place attachment in Nigerian urban slums: Evidence from inner-city Ibadan: Fid-Bau Portal

Place attachment in Nigerian urban slums: Evidence from inner-city Ibadan

Adewale, Bukola A. / Ibem, Eziyi O. / Amole, Samuel A. / Adeboye, Albert B.

Abstract The plight of residents in inner-city slums in the global South has continued to receive research attention. However, there is a paucity of empirical studies on the influence of the living conditions of this category of residents on attachment to their home environment in urban areas in Nigeria. This study investigated place attachment in the inner-city Ibadan, Nigeria, using data derived from household survey of 856 residents in Oke-Foko Community. The findings of the descriptive statistics, factor, and multiple regression analyses revealed that around 63% of the respondents were attached to their home environment and place dependence contributed more than place identity to this. In addition, satisfaction with housing units features and support services, security and tenure status of the respondents emerged as the top four predictors of place attachment in the area. The study implies that improved place attachment and by extension active citizenship behaviours by residents of urban slums in Nigeria and other countries in sub-Saharan Africa can be achieved if appropriate strategies are engaged to enhance the quality of their housing units, level of security of lives and property, and improve their access to basic social services and facilities within their home environment.

Highlights • Place attachment in residential environment was investigated. • Household survey of 856 residents in inner-city Ibadan, Nigeria, was conducted. • Around 63% of the respondents were attached to their home environment. • Environmental, social and individual factors predicted place attachment. • Enhanced quality of housing and security can improve place attachment in urban slums.