MONITORING URBAN EXPANSION AND LAND-USE/LAND COVER DYNAMICS IN BAUCHI METROPOLIS, NIGERIA

Rapid urbanization has become a major driver of Land-Use and land cover (LULC) change, with significant environmental consequences in developing countries. This study assessed urban expansion and LULC dynamics in Bauchi Metropolis, Nigeria, from 1990 to 2020 using multi-temporal Landsat imagery integrated with Remote Sensing and Geographic Information System (GIS) techniques. Landsat 5 TM (1990), Landsat 7 ETM+ (2010), and Landsat 8 OLI/TIRS (2020) images were classified into five LULC classes using the Maximum Likelihood Classification algorithm. Classification accuracy was evaluated using confusion matrices, Overall Accuracy, User's Accuracy, Producer's Accuracy, and the Kappa coefficient. Overall Accuracy values of 85.20%, 90.60%, and 91.20%, with Kappa coefficients of 0.813, 0.836, and 0.744, confirmed the reliability of the classified maps. Built-up area expanded from 42.56 km² (35.5%) in 1990 to 96.15 km² (80.2%) in 2020, while water bodies declined from 13.91 km² to 3.86 km². Transition matrix analysis identified vegetation as the principal source of urban expansion. The findings provide valuable evidence for sustainable urban planning, environmental conservation, and informed land management in rapidly urbanizing cities.