The primary
purpose of this study is to evaluate the idea of infrastructure justice in the
context of the Nasarawa State urban system. The Nasarawa urban system is
characterized by a network of small and medium-sized urban centres. And studies
have suggested that much of the urban growth in Africa is taking place in small
and medium-sized towns where access to infrastructure is critical both for
sustainability and quality of life. Consequently, it is critical to assess
whether infrastructure is being allocated in a just and equitable manner to
support even urban development in the face of tremendous growth and development
that appears uneven. This study employs a mixed-methods approach to assess the
distribution of urban infrastructure in the context of just and fair
distribution. Data on the availability and accessibility of some basic urban
services like energy, water, sanitary conditions, healthcare, transportation,
and education in various Nasarawa State urban areas were collected. To address
the issues, composite infrastructure distribution justice indexes were
developed and structured into sub-indices (acceptability, affordability, and
availability) to reflect the local needs of the disadvantaged urban areas. The
indexes also rely on qualitative content analysis of Nasarawa state urban
infrastructure distribution and development policy documents. However,
stratification of the urban areas into three senatorial districts to enable a
coherent selection of the urban areas and a purposive survey of selected urban
areas for a detailed survey were applied. Weighted mean scores were computed
and indexed to determine the overall accessibility, acceptability, and
availability of urban infrastructure within the state. In addition, a key
informant interview (KII) was conducted with major stakeholders like
politicians, and community leaders using purposive sampling techniques. The
interview provided useful insight about the variables impacting decisions on
infrastructure distribution in the state. The location quotient (LQ) was used
to evaluate the degree of concentration of the amenities, suggesting an uneven
distribution of amenities across urban areas in the study area. This study
emphasises that governments at all levels should prioritize the provision and
development of infrastructure through an accepted Nasarawa State Urban
Infrastructure Development Plan and also support efforts by urban communities
regarding basic infrastructure development.
Keywords: Infrastructure; Justice; sustainable development, Urban and Nasarawa State.
