V3I9P10

Levels of Infrastructure Development in Peri-urban Areas of South-South Nigeria

Ndifreke M. Etim^1*, Victor E. Umoren¹, Beulah I. Ofem¹, Itiat I. Christopher²

Abstract

Peri-urban settlements exhibit varying levels of infrastructure development, yet systematic classification of these areas remains limited in Nigeria. This study classified peri-urban settlements in South-South Nigeria according to their levels of infrastructure development to provide an empirical basis for equitable planning and resource allocation. Sixty peri-urban settlements were assessed using thirteen infrastructure indicators comprising telecommunications, electricity, educational facilities, health facilities, water supply, roads, police stations, waste management, courts, recreational facilities, and markets. An Infrastructure Index was computed by averaging the infrastructure scores for each settlement, and the resulting index values were subjected to hierarchical cluster analysis. The agglomeration schedule and dendrogram were used to determine the optimal number of settlement clusters. The analysis identified three distinct categories of peri-urban settlements. Cluster 1 comprised 14 highly developed settlements with infrastructure indices ranging from 0.69 to 0.92, Cluster 2 contained 19 moderately developed settlements with indices between 0.54 and 0.62, reflecting partial but uneven infrastructure provision, while Cluster 3 consisted of 27 least developed settlements with infrastructure indices ranging from 0.23 to 0.46. The hierarchical clustering procedure confirmed clear structural differences among the three categories of settlements. The study demonstrates that the combination of an infrastructure index and hierarchical cluster analysis provides a robust framework for classifying peri-urban settlements according to infrastructure development. The findings reveal substantial spatial disparities in infrastructure provision across peri-urban areas of South-South Nigeria and provide a practical basis for evidence-based planning, targeted infrastructure investment, and policies aimed at promoting equitable and sustainable peri-urban development.

Keywords:

Peri-urban, Infrastructure development, infrastructure index, Hierarchical cluster analysis