Author(s)

Ezeamaka Cyril Kanayochukwu¹, Bala Dogo²

¹Department of Geography, Nigerian Defence Academy, Kaduna, Nigeria.
²Department of Geography, Kaduna State University, Kaduna, Nigeria.

The study provides comprehensive empirical information on the magnitude and characteristics of slums in New Karu District of Karu LGA in Nassarawa State. The proximity of New Karu to FCT, Abuja has made it a very important settlement and a gateway to the Capital of Nigeria. 5 of the 12 wards of New Karu were studied. Direct Field observation and interview were used to obtain information of the study area. This study used a systematic random sampling method using the interval of five (5) households. 500 questionnaires were administered to the selected household heads. The study revealed that the houses are built from mud (47%) wood (15%), Zinc (16%) and Brick/block (22%). Further probe revealed that 35% agreed that the rents are affordable while 65% disagreed. 13% of the houses do not have any form of toilet, thus the occupants defecate in the nearby open bushes. The result also revealed that 90% of the households are connected to public electricity and 10% are not. The survey further revealed that 45% of the respondents dump waste into the gutters around them houses and 55% dump at a common waste point. This study has shown that the basic social facilities needed to making life better do not exist in New Karu District. Therefore, Karu LGA and Nassarawa State Government should provide the infrastructures and facilities required to improve the well being of the residents of New Karu. The findings of this study confirmed that there exist high levels of inadequacies of infrastructure causes the environmental and living conditions.

Slum, Profiling, Population, Abuja, FCT, Housing, and Development

Kanayochukwu, E. and Dogo, B. (2019) Profiling the Characteristics of Karu Slum, Nasarawa State, Nigeria. Journal of Service Science and Management, 12, 605-619. doi: 10.4236/jssm.2019.125041.