Urban Growth Factors and their Implications in Gusau Metropolitan Area, Zamfara State, Nigeria

Globally, cities keep growing in their size, often in uncoordinated manner. For about a decade now, fast rate of urban growth and resultant expansion in Gusau city has become the focus of urban development discourse, from various quarters across the state. This study examined the driving factors and their implications in the expansion of Gusau city, with a view to proffer solutions to the unplanned but rapid growth of the area. The study employed geospatial techniques (remote sensing and GIS) for LULC and survey technique in exploring this phenomenon. Two Landsat imageries showing the LULC of the area for 2012 and 2018 were acquired from USGS and analysed using ArcGIS 10.5 software version 10.8. In addition, data were obtained through interview with staff members of Zamfara State Urban and Regional Planning Board (ZUREPB) and the Ministry for Housing and Urban Development. The study revealed that urban area of the city increased from approximately 18.31 km2 in 2012 to around 19.82 km2 in 2018. It was also observed that urban expansion in the city was basically triggered by economic growth, natural increase, rural-urban migration, geography and development policies on planning. The study also revealed that urban growth affected socio-economic and ecological wellbeing of the city. It thus recommended that government and all other stakeholders should opt-in for urban growth monitoring through geospatial techniques for better decision making