Otutu Oma,

Wanted to make this thread to discuss how we can make our eastern cities more livable. I believe livability, a long side with economic development is key to eastern cities as to curb the lose of our human resources to other cities.

Livability is the sum of the factors that add up to a community's quality of life—including the built and natural environments, economic prosperity, social stability and equity, educational opportunity, and cultural, entertainment and recreation possibilities.

So what are some ideas to make eastern cities the choice places to live?

There was a study conducted on cities in Igboland that measured remittances to rural areas. In this study, the local government of south Abia led the pack by far and wide followed by the ones of southern Anambra. My own Northern Imo region ranked among the lowest for the following reason. The study cited that the percentage of people that leave their villages to go to a city within 30 mins away was the highest in these regions. This means that the close individuals live and work to the ancestral community, the more likely they were to remit their wealth into their ancestral community and work as a part of it's development.


Therefore, for the survival of rural communities as well as our urban centers, our urban centers have to be the choice destinations for external travel, and that's why it's important to discuss and pitch ideas because you don't know if a future governor is on Nairaland today

Security of lives is one important ingredient we need, to improve the livability of our cities. Most people I know would rather not visit, not to talk of living in the east, due majorly to security concerns.

Government policies have never targeted at improving the earning ability of average easterner. By this , I mean, policies that encourage businesses to set up and employ others. if this id done, many young people will prefer living in the east to other non-eastern states. Take Enugu state as example.

Algebra12:
Security of lives is one important ingredient we need, to improve the livability of our cities. Most people I know would rather not visit, not to talk of living in the east, due majorly to security concerns.

Government policies have never targeted at improving the earning ability of average easterner. By this , I mean, policies that encourage businesses to set up and employ others. if this id done, many young people will prefer living in the east to other non-eastern states. Take Enugu state as example.

To an extent this is true but it's no longer the reality. Security was once a major issue. Today, as you cited Enugu, many cities are seen are very safe. Owerri being among them for example. The problem is, people still have the instinctive cultural urge to venture our. Only enough the states that are the least safe, Abia and Anambra, do the best job at retaining their indigins.


Here are some ideas have for security

Modernize police:

How can men on foot guard cities of millions that span hundreds of kilometers? Our police need to be in cars, not on foot, as is the case with all effective security forces. Let every 2 police officers be stationed to 1 vehicle so that their reach will expand dramatically. Enugu has the right idea.

www.nairaland.com/attachments/1142361_c0dd7a467124721de57bad4da2756814_jpg95057acae6bbe0a10003a27bf76d85d8


We also need to eliminate the practice of putting 6-8 police officers in one vehicle. If they're the eyes and ears of justice in a city, why are we compacting them in the same place and having them see and hear the exact same thing? 8 police officers can assure the safety of 8 streets but we'd rather pack them all into 1. It makes little sense and isn't working for cities following the practice.

Insecurity is a thing of the past in East and gangsterism and thuggish behaviors are frown at.

East is neglected but East have the best housing structures and cityscape in Nigeria, it will take other reigions 20yrs of East being stattic to make their cities more mordern and decent like those in the city.

There is no place in Nigeria you will see a housing layout like Awada,

Without keke you will never know Owerre is a Nigeria city, Owerre is on the class of its own in nigeria but things a very expensive there

We also need to eliminate the practice of rural vigilante groups if we're not willing to properly screen and train them. These groups almost never curb crime and often end up becoming the biggest security threat to the community because it's easy for riff raffs to join and gain power/authority.


There are also a lot of psychological and scientific barriers to crime. There are studies into crime prevention through Environmental Design we should look into. some things I found interesting studying them were

1. The wider the street, the more likely individuals will speed and the higher prevalence of criminal activity.
2. Crime is less likely to happen on tree lined streets than bare ones
3. Adequate street lighting has proven to curb criminal activity
4. The presence of parks and art have also proven effective in curbing criminal activity.
5. Less pollution and litter have been correlated with less crime


with this info the strategy should be to link sanitation with security. People 'behave better' in cleaner environments.




What Are Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design Strategies?

Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) includes strategies implemented to directly modify the environment to take advantage of pre-existing environmental assets or change the design features and condition of particular targets (e.g., store fronts, parking garages, or abandoned buildings) or areas in an effort to reduce crime. In some instances, CPTED strategies are implemented during the beginning phases of a project (e.g., during planning of a new housing development). But, in many instances, the strategies are applied when the need for intervention occurs (e.g., adding security cameras to a store after a robbery). CPTED strategies are often linked with other community-based crime prevention strategies, such as problem-oriented policing, which emphasizes tailoring crime prevention strategies to solve specific problems. As with other types of community-based crime prevention programs, CPTED is made up of multiple elements or approaches and can be used by various stakeholders within and outside of the criminal justice system. CPTED strategies address quality of life issues by attempting to deter criminal activity, increase overall safety for citizens, and reduce citizen fear of crime. CPTED strategies are thus evaluated to determine not only whether crime was reduced but also whether citizen perceptions of crime were affected by implementation of the strategy. Several key components of CPTED are often manipulated to impact crime and positively affect public perceptions of safety including:

Territoriality (promotes a sense of ownership and may include the use of signs, fences, or artwork that helps define ownership of a given location);

Activity Support (encourages legitimate activities in public places to foster opportunities for natural surveillance and may include block parties, neighborhood clean-up days, or the design of mini malls to encourage more social interaction);

Access Control (restricts access to specific areas and can include the use of street barricades, landscaping, locked doors, changes in pedestrian or vehicular traffic patterns, or the use of security personnel to keep people away from restricted areas);

Surveillance (increases visibility by natural, formal, and mechanical methods such as through promoting routine surveillance by community residents or through the practice of employing more than one employee at retail stores, police patrols, or Closed Circuit Television also referred to as CCTV);

Maintenance (insures the routine maintenance or upkeep of the environment such as clean up programs or repairs and modifications to meet new threats); and

Target Hardening (adds physical features that will make it more difficult to commit a crime such as through the use of improved lighting or electronic alarms).

https://www.bja.gov/evaluation/program-crime-prevention/cpted1.htm

Not got much time, but a few ideas i have are to have at least one viable international airport to link Igboland to ALL continents directly; to have a viable Onitsha and Oguta river ports; to link all our industrial, commercial and tourist areas by a rail network; and constant power supply!

East is more secure than any region your crawling out from

Kidnapping is no more in East for 2yrs now.
No bank robbery or high way robbery.
No ritual killings and human parts dealers.
No election violence
No thuggery.
Few isolated cases of cult activities in places with higher institutions.

East is as just as secure as, Orji could be a failure but he has security in Abia state in the bag, in by 11pm people still groove in Upper Iweka while abookis sell suya and indomies.

East is the definition of security and decency

Algebra12:
Security of lives is one important ingredient we need, to improve the livability of our cities. Most people I know would rather not visit, not to talk of living in the east, due majorly to security concerns.

Government policies have never targeted at improving the earning ability of average easterner. By this , I mean, policies that encourage businesses to set up and employ others. if this id done, many young people will prefer living in the east to other non-eastern states. Take Enugu state as example.

Shiny roofs!!!!!

Stop building primitive I big pass you houses & mansions........build sustainable, liveable, economically viable cities and communities.

I have seen uninhabitable shiny roof homes on my way to Awka but these are nothing but aesthetics.

Igbo towns are desolate and we need to design a liveability index and set the parameters for my Igbo foes.

We have to stop the "I get money" mentality first and secondly whine sweet and sour Yoruba land off you people.

My 3 kobo.

BuddahMonk:
Insecurity is a thing of the past in East and gangsterism and thuggish behaviors are frown at.

East is neglected but East have the best housing structures and cityscape in Nigeria, it will take other reigions 20yrs of East being stattic to make their cities more mordern and decent like those in the city.

There is no place in Nigeria you will see a housing layout like Awada,

Without keke you will never know Owerre is a Nigeria city, Owerre is on the class of its own in nigeria but things a very expensive there

I would have to agree. I think the exodus of people is more cultural than it is logical. I don't believe it's in someone's best interest to leave Enugu and go to Ore or Katsina but people still do it. Life in the east (cities) can be expensive but other than that there no real logical reason outside of finding direct work elsewhere.



The BIGGEST issues is retaining post graduates be it Secondary or University. People graduate and start looking elsewhere even if elsewhere is Somalia. The elderly comeback as if the east is a retirement home, and the young of course stay unless their parents want them to school elsewhere. So how can we keep post graduates in the east?

ibedun:
Shiny roofs!!!!!

Stop building primitive I big pass you houses & mansions........build sustainable, liveable, economically viable cities and communities.

I have seen uninhabitable shiny roof homes on my way to Awka but these are nothing but aesthetics.

Igbo towns are desolate and we need to design a liveability index and set the parameters for my Igbo foes.

We have to stop the "I get money" mentality first and secondly whine sweet and sour Yoruba land off you people.

My 3 kobo.

what's wrong with mansions? I don't even think you're igbo with how erratically constructed your sentences are.

The problem with East is that our big men neglected her, they will go to their villa build duplex but when they go to Abuja and Lagos they will build skyscrapers

This is what Obijackson is building in VI

IGBOSON1:
Not got much time, but a few ideas i have are to have at least one viable international airport to link Igboland to ALL continents directly; to have a viable Onitsha and Oguta river ports; to link all our industrial, commercial and tourist areas by a rail network; and constant power supply!

IGBOSON1:
Not got much time, but a few ideas i have are to have at least one viable international airport to link Igboland to ALL continents directly; to have a viable Onitsha and Oguta river ports; to link all our industrial, commercial and tourist areas by a rail network; and constant power supply!

Start by being there first! and stop the fixation with Yoruba land!

Vote in serious government (Not the Kalu type)

Developments starts with the people.

Igbo unruly, uncouth behaviour will never attract investment.

Friendly brotherly advice.

May calamity visit you if your not Igbo

ibedun:
Shiny roofs!!!!!

Stop building primitive I big pass you houses & mansions........build sustainable, liveable, economically viable cities and communities.

I have seen uninhabitable shiny roof homes on my way to Awka but these are nothing but aesthetics.

Igbo towns are desolate and we need to design a liveability index and set the parameters for my Igbo foes.

We have to stop the "I get money" mentality first and secondly whine sweet and sour Yoruba land off you people.

My 3 kobo.

BuddahMonk:
May calamity visit you if your not Igbo

May Calamity visit you and any of your family members hiding away in Yoruba land whilst Igbo land goes to waste.

Foolish people. My interest in this topic is to contribute to help you people leave our land and carry your wahala back home.

BuddahMonk:
The problem with East is that our big men neglected her, they will go to their villa build duplex but when they go to Abuja and Lagos they will build skyscrapers

This is what Obijackson is building in VI

We neglect the importance of patriotism. Kids have to be taught the importance of patriotism and love for their own people because otherwise they'll grow up and start building skyscrapers in Zambia as is the case today.

We don't teach history, we don't understand the importance of culture, and we think our ethnicity is an ignorable detail until we're being killed because of it, then soon after we forget and go back to being off guard and unaware.

Our big men ignore development because they were raised to think about themselves and not their people and they weren't shown what being Igbo is about. They then go to Lagos etc and allow others to tell their children what being igbo is about. Those kids come back east and start saying things are 'igbotic' and other ridiculous terms and phrases.

I lived in rural imo state my whole life. I don't think I would have the appreciation for Igboland that I do had I not been at the core of a community that valued and taught culture. My own parents did a good job showing me that it was important to build our community and think about our community first.


If we can't guarantee all parents will do this, which they won't, we have to make sure our schools, youth social clubs, governments and even churches take the forefront letting everyone know that building the community is a collective duty to our future and our children.

My people are living in Lagos whichi is a no man's land, my sister was posted to Oyo state but she came back with guinea worm just 3 weeks in the camp, Imagine what she will contract if she had stayed for 3months maybe na deadbody or ebola she will get
she relocated and advised us not to wish our enemy Oyo state.

ibedun:


May Calamity visit you and any of your family members hiding away in Yoruba land whilst Igbo land goes to waste.

Foolish people. My interest in this topic is to contribute to help you people leave our land and carry your wahala back home.

Any Igbo man trying to project hypothesis for massive outward migration of Igbos does not know himself and Nigeria very well. A systemic deprivation and quest to survive is the reason and its now irreversible except through a catastrophe. What we should be talking about is reducing it or building links between home and diaspora. Dutch, Irish, Italian, Spanish, English Americans, Australians, Argentines etc may not need to return to their place of origin but yet remain attached to them.

Common close your agbo teeth like ibadan roofs, thunder will fire every member of your family if your not Igbo

ibedun:


May Calamity visit you and any of your family members hiding away in Yoruba land whilst Igbo land goes to waste.

Foolish people. My interest in this topic is to contribute to help you people leave our land and carry your wahala back home.

Call me what you like....I am a Yoruba man living in Yoruba land.

You can never feel what I feel - I live in my ancestral land. Build anything you like and buy any car you like in Lagos ........ You are forever an outsider and you know it.

Sorry Sir, you and your sister better start thinking home. Lagos is very far from your home.

BTW who represented you and your sister at the last national conference?

BuddahMonk:
Common close your agbo teeth like ibadan roofs, thunder will fire every member of your family if your not Igbo

BuddahMonk:
My people are living in Lagos whichi is a no man's land, my sister was posted to Oyo state but she came back with guinea worm just 3 weeks in the camp, Imagine what she will contract if she had stayed for 3months maybe na deadbody or ebola she will get
she relocated and advised us not to wish our enemy Oyo state.

Call me what you like....I am a Yoruba man living in Yoruba land.
You can never feel what I feel - I live in my ancestral land. Build anything you like and buy any car you like in Lagos ........ You are forever an outsider and you know it.
Sorry Sir, you and your sister better start thinking home. Lagos is very far from your home.
BTW who represented you and your sister at the last national conference?

Abagworo:
Any Igbo man trying to project hypothesis for massive outward migration of Igbos does not know himself and Nigeria very well. A systemic deprivation and quest to survive is the reason and its now irreversible except through a catastrophe. What we should be talking about is reducing it or building links between home and diaspora. Dutch, Irish, Italian, Spanish, English Americans, Australians, Argentines etc may not need to return to their place of origin but yet remain attached to them.

What's the point of blaming the past when we're trying to look for a solutions. The status quo is unexceptionable and we'll change it. This is why I i'm not looking for solutions to involve the federal government.





Anyways. Some states have been more successful than others at retaining indigines. Abia comes to mind. We have to ask what they're doing that others, particularly Imo isn't.

I can say that though Imo is more livable than Abia, Abia is more industrial and thus there more space for business to business growth and employment (though I would wager that people don't leave Igboland looking for employment at the rate the leave looking for wealth).

Imo made a mistake getting rid of it's 'containers', because the people that specialize in this structure of trade have no choice than to leave. It's also a quick was to create employment where there is none.



Despite the madness of it. Onitcha main market keeps people in Onitsha/Anambra and Ariari international market keeps people in Aba/Abia.
Because these markets thrive, people don't have to leave too far from home to trade.

Every city in Igboland needs a giant market or two. There's more than enough space for Onitsha to even add another international market because the current one is long past capacity.




Owerri, Asaba, Enugu, Orlu, Awka, Nsukka and Umuahia need equivalent markets or bigger ones. The economic benefits of international markets are below

International markets
1. help in the sale of locally made goods
2. curb unemployment
3. are a great way for future industrialists to find a start.
4. Increase the standard of living for surrounding areas because it give people access to modern conveniences
5. Drive down the cost of living due to abundance of goods and sellers competing.

All of these directly feed into increasing livability. Now there are dangers with international markets. They do increase chaos, mismanagement, pollution, and crime, but with lessons learned from Osha main market, the new ones can apply them to make sure they're

1. well lit, night and day.
2. human traffic is regulated by gates
3. central planning allows for zoning and smart mapping of a market that can comfortably handle the anticipated human capacities
4. regulation boards assure that businesses follow legal and standard procedure.

ibedun:
Call me what you like....I am a Yoruba man living in Yoruba land.
You can never feel what I feel - I live in my ancestral land. Build anything you like and buy any car you like in Lagos ........ You are forever an outsider and you know it.
Sorry Sir, you and your sister better start thinking home. Lagos is very far from your home.
BTW who represented you and your sister at the last national conference?

do you live in your ancestral land or do you live in Lagos? lol. Tell the truth.

Budah if i were you, I'll stop quoting this guy

Ikengawo:

do you live in your ancestral land or do you live in Lagos? lol. Tell the truth.

You people are getting yourself mixed up badly.

Lagos is part and parcel of the Yoruba ancestry even your much touted Nigerian constitution recognises so......that is why there is no Obi or Emir anywhere near Lagos.

The Hausas, the Binis, the tapas, middle belters even the Ijaws recognise this.

The delusional trouble making loud Igbos are deliberately and hopelessly wishing away this point?

This highly toxically provocative stand is eventually going to lead to war! Less provocative stuff has lead to war in other climes.

I am a Yoruba man and I live in Lagos a part and parcel of Yoruba Land. There is no Igbo history or relationship in that heritage. Nigeria may give you the right to live in Lagos but you are not Lagosians or Yoruba people.

Ikengawo:


What's the point of blaming the past when we're trying to look for a solutions. The status quo is unexceptionable and we'll change it. This is why I i'm not looking for solutions to involve the federal government.





Anyways. Some states have been more successful than others at retaining indigines. Abia comes to mind. We have to ask what they're doing that others, particularly Imo isn't.

I can say that though Imo is more livable than Abia, Abia is more industrial and thus there more space for business to business growth and employment (though I would wager that people don't leave Igboland looking for employment at the rate the leave looking for wealth).

In this sort of discussion all Igbos are the same and hence singling out Abia or Anambra changes nothing. An Igbo man from Nnewi living in Aba is not part of our discussion. We are rather talking of Nsukka man living in Potiskum.

Majority of Igbos outside Igboland are from a circle which covers mostly Northern Imo and Southern Anambra State. Hence most Igbos you are likely to meet trading in Maiduguri or Zungeru are likely from there. The reason is that the population density of that area is so high that the migration must occur for survival. 2ndly that area was deliberately undercounted and underfunded since the inception of Nigeria thereby leaving little resources for large population to live on. They have red infertile and yet scarce land resources facing erosion menace.

interesting

First thing beg your gods of your land to bless the land and make it accommodating to human.
That is if the gods havent even relocated to Lagos, Kano, Jos or Yola.

Reduce crime, Increase economic activity. These are the 2major things that chase people from an area

Hope this would stop the refugee like migration from the east.

There is no place like home. Start staying back in your ancestral home and not claiming another man's land as No mans land

If you dont develop your home, who would do it for you

I knew it, yorubas must visit this thread.

Abagworo:

In this sort of discussion all Igbos are the same and hence singling out Abia or Anambra changes nothing. An Igbo man from Nnewi living in Aba is not part of our discussion. We are rather talking of Nsukka man living in Potiskum.
Majority of Igbos outside Igboland are from a circle which covers mostly Northern Imo and Southern Anambra State. Hence most Igbos you are likely to meet trading in Maiduguri or Zungeru are likely from there. The reason is that the population density of that area is so high that the migration must occur for survival. 2ndly that area was deliberately undercounted and underfunded since the inception of Nigeria thereby leaving little resources for large population to live on. They have red infertile and yet scarce land resources facing erosion menace.

These same people go to other people's land and are disrespectful of authorities, established customs and traditions and calling other peoples no man's land. If conflict should arise (always does inevitably) from that situation where would they run to?

Read this thread

https://www.nairaland.com/858722/igboman-did-come-bauchi-land

To keep traffic coming to these new markets (instead of allowing them to turn into another Tinapa) state and local governments can do the following.


1. Assure that they're built on heavy traffic transit sites.
2. Keep banking, filling stations, and restaurants/lounges near by.
3. Invite international traders (Chinese, Indians, Arabs, other Nigerian tribes) to assure a diversity of goods being traded and the likelihood of having specialty items
4. Link all local governments in a state by bus and all states by train and put the main train stations and main bus depots at these markets.
5. Them they CLEAN and traffic well regulated. As Igboland modernizes we're going to have a hard time convincing people to bare the rigors of market shopping as individuals become more posh and comfort oriented. Gates will allow Markets to keep individuals out when they have hit capacity. It will also allow for easier crime fighting and easier maintanence.
6. 24/7 Marketing. If the market is open 24 hours or closes lates (3am), people won't feel so pressured to rush in at once. traffic will be spread through out the day and since markets are kept open longer each shop will employ more people to work different shifts.


International Markets also help industry. Northern Anambra wouldn't be an industrial hub if they didn't have Onitsha main market to drop their goods off at. in my own Imo, the Orlu confluence is the most industrial do to it's proximity to major markets, while the southern areas are more rural. Most of the major industrialists from and in the east are graduates of the market and commerce system such as Cosmas Maduka, Innoson Chukwuemeka and more.

Markets are also the prime (outside of churches and family members) tourist attractions in Nigeria. People travel from Cross Rivers and Awka Ibom just to shop in Aba weekly. They do a better job at bringing in exchange from other states than even malls and so special attention should be paid to them. there's no reason they can't be more comfortable than or at least as comfortable as major international malls.