Exploring the Influence of Demographic Characteristics of Users on Housing Quality Within Relief Camps in Nigeria

In rapidly urbanizing regions like Nigeria, the quality of human habitation is closely tied to significant social, economic, and environmental challenges, addressed by the vision of Sustainable Development Goal 11 (SDG 11) -"Sustainable Cities and Communities." These challenges are particularly pronounced in the context of post-disaster relief housing, which directly impacts the quest for sustainable urban development and inclusive, safe, and resilient cities. Despite persistent criticisms of the Nigerian Government's efforts in this regard, there is limited understanding of the actual housing conditions in relief camps. This study aims to evaluate the quality of Post-disaster Housing (PDH) in Lagos and Abuja by considering the influence of demographic factors. Inadequate housing conditions, as uncovered in this study, can exacerbate vulnerabilities, impact health, and disrupt social well-being, directly undermining sustainable principles. Four relief camps, two in Lagos and two in Abuja, were selected. Their dwelling units were completed and occupied between 2011 and 2019, thus highlighting the relevance of this research to contemporary urbanization challenges. Data were collected using questionnaire and analysed using various statistical methods, including Frequency and Percentage distribution, Mean Score Rating (MSR), and Multiple Linear Regression (MLR) using a Backward Stepwise Model. The findings not only shed light on the importance of factors like level of education and occupation having a marginal positive influence on Housing Quality (HQ) but also reveal that longer residency negatively impacts HQ. Additionally, the presence of more children has no negative influence on housing quality. However, these demographic factors collectively account for only a small portion of the variance in HQ, indicating the presence of other unaccounted factors. Hence, proving that demographics of inmates have no significant influence on the housing quality of PDH in the study area. This research contributes to bridging the knowledge gap regarding the determinants of housing quality in post-disaster scenarios, particularly in Nigeria, where quality housing remains a challenge and achieving SDG 11's targets is a critical step toward building more sustainable, inclusive, and resilient cities and communities.