Investigation of factors affecting rural road maintenance

329 Pages·2017·17.55 MB·English

Loughborough University
Institutional Repository
Investigation of factors
affecting rural road
maintenance: the case of
Sokoto State, Nigeria
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by the/an author.
Additional Information:
• A Doctoral Thesis. Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements
for the award of Doctor of Philosophy of Loughborough University.
Metadata Record: https://dspace.lboro.ac.uk/2134/11704
Publisher: (cid:13)c Shehu Yabo Abubakar
Please cite the published version.
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INVESTIGATION OF FACTORS AFFECTING RURAL ROAD
,· MAINTENANCE- THE CASE OF SOKOTO STATE, NIGERIA
by
ABUBAKAR SHEHU YABO, BSc, MSc.
A Doctoral Thesis submitted in partial fulfilment
of the requirements for the award of
Doctor of Philosophy of Loughborough University
August, 1998
@Shehu Yabo Abubakar 1998
•
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Abstract
The study relates to road management in Nigeria, on one (land locked) state out of the
36 that comprise the country. The state (Sokoto) has a population of over four million
people, and the acute shortage of road connections to the majority of its rural
inhabitants necessitated the research. The practice of road management in Sokoto is
broadly representative of other Nigerian States. Sokoto like all the northern states, is
distant from the coast, and its main asset is an abundant supply of cheap labour. Roads
provide the principal mode of access, and are a key factor to trade, industry and social
development.
An intensive literature review was carried out to determine the existing state of
knowledge on the problems encountered by practitioners in the field. The review (desk
study) occupied the first stage of the research. It rapidly became clear that the topic is
seriously under-researched, both internationally and specifically in the study area. The
review has also drawn upon a variety of published and unpublished sources, drawing
upon the limited amount of quantified and rigorous data that is available, but also
assessing the more substantial quantity of partially quantified or impressionistic
information to be found in project reports and case studies. For research to be
successful, observable indicators must be found for at least some of the abstract
concepts used in the theory. In this regard, six months field work (data collection) was
carried out in Nigeria as the study's second stage. This translates the research
hypothesis into an operational hypothesis. The third stage of the research covers the
analysis and validation of data. This includes an interpretation, which serves as a bridge
between the theoretical and practical data.
The thesis describes how the empirical data has been used in analysis, to spell out
parameters that affect rural road management in Nigeria as in many Sub-Saharan
Africa. The research revealed the inappropriate use of technology to be the major
factor hindering performance. The study suggests some workable operating methods
as possible alternatives that can simplify the difficulties of road maintenance under
different operating conditions.
Keywords: Labour-based methods, Equipment Intensive Techniques, Inappropriate
Technology, Contracts, Contractor, Community, Participation, Construction, Materials
Research Motivational Concept
The author's interest in the research topic started at the age of 15. The idea originated
two decades ago, during the time of Nigeria's second democratic elections in 1979.
The author served in the electoral process as a voter's registration officer in a village
that was very difficult to reach due to lack of access roads. It was Friday morning and
the registration was scheduled to take place the next morning. Access to the village
was imperative, but thoroughly impossible due to lack of access roads and a bridge to
cross the river. The author's inability to swim across the river worsened the frustration,
as he had to wait for five hours to get a camel for the river crossing. The crossing with
the camel still proved difficult after the author fell in the middle of the river, injuring
his right leg. The author, with the aid of the Village Head and his entourage, managed
to reach the village, but cheerlessly, there was no health centre to provide for
emergency treatment, and none of the villagers had any knowledge of first aid
treatment. The author then had to wait for 24 hours before returning back home for
medical treatment.
After the completion of the exercise, all the returning officers were asked to narrate
their experiences of the exercise. Coincidentally, the Chief Returning Officer (CRO)
was a civil engineer by profession, and as such was delighted to learn of the author's
experience. He expressed his sympathy with the author's experience and the harsh
realities of human existence in those areas. The CRO then explained to the audience
the importance of infrastructure for the development of the region. He singled out the
road as the most fundamental source of communication that can influence the
development of many other infrastructures. The author from then onward always
recalls the incident, and the scale of suffering by the communities in those areas, and as
such developed earnest interest in rural access road development for humane
development.
The author appraised other infrastructures and found them to be indispensable for our
existence. However, road transport in Sokoto State (a land locked area), is of
exceptional importance to the service of the majority poor rural communities. Road
transport in these circumstances influences economic development, diversifies
production, expands trade, reduces poverty, raises productivity and lowers production
costs. Road transport, in this case, is a saving to transporters and passengers; it
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improves environmental conditions, enhances welfare and fosters economic growth
and as such serves as a life line in the day to day activities of our normal affairs.·
Improving the services for roads will therefore ensure growth and development of
rural areas.
It is sad to see that almost every aspect of development in this area is linked to road.
Road failures in these circumstances therefore quickly reduce the communities' quality
of life and productivity. As the road is the only mode of transport, it is the only means
that can provide services to meet the demands of businesses, households, and many
other areas of economic development. Roads, in this case represent, if not the engine,
then the "Wheels" of economic activity. The development of every infrastructure
sector requires road transport as an input for its commodity. Users demand road
services for raising their productivity by, for example, reducing the time and effort
needed to secure safe water, to bring crops to market, or to commute to work.
Deficiency of road transport sector affects:
W Agriculture, --- Which will in turn affect farmers input and out put.
EF Trade and Commerce --- Which will in turn affect market links, e.g. local tools.
EF Industries --- Which will in turn affect small enterprise promotion.
EF Social Development ---That can affect sports, and other social obligations e.g.;
Er Education, --- Schools, pupils, quality teachers,
Er Health ---- health centres, women in labour,
The developments of these basic necessities of life are likely to remain so in the
absence of a maintainable road network. The development of this infrastructure can
encourage investors to invest for the growth of these areas. This research, however,
has revealed how rural roads can affect the local economy especially when related to
the above mentioned infrastructures.
Agriculture:
In Nigeria, about 80% (almost 90 million) live in and derive their livelihood from rural
areas. They receive less than 30% of development funds from the national treasury. In
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particular, Northern Nigeria as a whole, which Sokoto (case study) belongs to, is
predominantly agricultural in economy.
Trade and Commerce:
Northern Nigeria especially the case study area (Sokoto), is one of the main sources of
varieties of commodities for the country. Commodities such as fruits, vegetables,
groundnuts, cotton, hide and skins, tomatoes and onions are produced in high
quantities in rural areas. Poor road links to local markets makes the transportation of
these commodities (mostly perishable) difficult.
Industries:
Poor road links make it extremely difficult for private enterprises to open industries in
rural areas. Majority of farm products end up being wasted due to Jack of industries for
the modern methods of preservation. In the absence of local industries, and the
extremes of weather conditions, utilisation of these commodities would be quite
difficult, if not impossible.
Education:
Technical and managerial skill in the public sector is generally of low standard. Lack of
access makes it difficult to attract teachers of quality or even the volunteers to help in
motivating the community on development programmes. This Jack of education result
in backwardness in education, and it affects the representation of rural areas in both the
Federal and State governments. This makes it difficult to attract authorities' influence
to divert resources to their development.
Health and Sanitation:
As a WEDC trainee, I have to be very regardful of Health and Sanitation. Dr Margaret
Ince taught us to regard health and sanitation as essential and priceless in comparison
with all other infrastructure. It is therefore worthwhile to give it serious consideration.
Rural health centres in Nigeria, particularly in the North are poorly developed. The
Jack of any sort of rural health centres or dispensaries causes serious concern for the
heath status of rural communities, especially women in labour among others. Lack of
good road connections makes it difficult to provide adequate attention for pregnant
women and their vulnerable children.
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