Studies have revealed that the proportion of persons displaced owing to housing is growing significantly. This affects developing countries like Nigeria and other similar African countries. Low-income earners (LIEs) are observed to be severely afflicted by this global threat. The LIEs who are said to account for more than 90 percent of Nigeria's population have been alleged to live in slums, blighted areas, and unplanned settlements. This study investigates sustainable approaches to addressing LIEs' housing affordability issues in Nigeria. This study is based on a systematic review of relevant literature, and its findings show that sustainable options for addressing Nigerian LIEs' housing affordability difficulties are examined using technological, institutional, economic, social, and environmental approaches to sustainable housing affordability (SHA). This paper urges the government, stakeholders, policymakers, and property developers in Nigeria and other developing nations to implement sustainable housing policies for low-income housing affordability. It contributes to the frontiers of knowledge by providing helpful information on low-income housing provision, challenges of affordability, sustainability, and management approaches, and at the same time, gives direction to research interest on low-income housing in Nigeria and other developing countries.
This article examines Home-Based Enterprises (HBEs) operations following the advancement of component technologies usage by its operators for trading and promotion. HBE operators use the home as a place of business to contribute to the income and improved welfare of households, especially in times of crises as recognised in many studies. Adequate ICT requirement is needed to drive any enterprises, especially in HBEs in the long run may result in regional and local development, a fundamental point and trend in the promotion of smart city development. The essence of this article is to examine the use of the internet in HBE transactions and its contributory factor. This paper is to outline the transformational impact of technology use on HBEs toward smart city development. The emerging circumstances of internet usage like social media, mobile applications, ICT, and websites applications have been considered in detail. HBEs development based on the availability and usage of internet facilities has been suggested for its application where necessary, and this can serve as a guide to changing dynamics of the cities towards the total adoption of the internet for business operations and transactions for the benefit and improvement of the local economies. The government in collaboration with stakeholders and the private sector should be willing to make available knowledge of the component technologies that will benefit HBEs as well as provide favourable programmes, and enact policies guided by laws and regulations. This paper discussed the various information fusions in the use of internet services to aid transactions as well as the selling and buying of products with ease without any form of difficulties encountered. Keywords: Component Technologies, HBEs, ICT, Smart Cities, Transactions DOI: 10.7176/RHSS/13-10-01 Publication date: May 31 st 2023
Purpose. Land use within a watershed affects surface water quality by creating a process by which diffuse pollutants such as suspended solids, trace metals, and nutrients enter rivers and streams. The purpose of this study is to assess pollution-load for Total Suspended Solids (TSS) and some trace metals in runoff samples collected during storm events in selected sub-catchment locations representing different land use areas in an urban watershed; and to determine the effects of land-use on the content of pollutants in stormwater using Event Mean Concentration (EMC).
Results. There were high EMC and Site Mean Concentrations (SMC) of TSS in stormwater in the six land-use zones examined, with values ranging from 154.0 mg L−1 to 1464.0 mg L−1; and 216.5 mg L−1 to 1153.4 mg L−1 for EMC and SMC respectively. The total content of suspended solids was significantly high, above the acceptable threshold of 100.0 mg L−1 stipulated by the WHO. The researchers also found a statistically significant variation in TSS loading of stormwater from the commercial land-use areas compared with the other land-use zones. A strong correlation was also observed between the volume of stormwater discharged and the TSS load. However, the concentrations of trace metals in stormwater were low across the land use zones. The commercial districts of the studied cities were found to be major sources of suspended solids in stormwater, and pollution of the urban watersheds leading to the deterioration of the rivers.
Scientific novelty. This study attempted to qauntify TSS load in stormwater and determine the contributions of the diffferent urban land-use areas to pollution yield.. It contributes to scientific efforts to directly quantify surface water pollution from nonpoint sources, since little attention has been paid to diffuse pollution, especially in sub-Saharan Africa; and provides baseline data for assessing urban stormwater in low-income countries.
Practical value. This study offers guidelines for city authorities to develop land use policies to control surface water pollution and urban waste. The findings may also serve as emperical basis for greater advocacy by civil society organizations for the proper management and control of urban rivers and streams for public health benefits.
