Title: Assessment of communities landholding assertiveness effects on sustained residential properties development in Nigeria: a case of Port Harcourt conurbations

Authors: Paulinus Woka Ihuah; Iyenemi Ibimina Kakulu

Addresses: Department of Estate Management, Faculty of Environmental Science, Rivers State University of Science and Technology, P.M.B. 5080, Port Harcourt, Nigeria ' Department of Estate Management, Faculty of Environmental Science, Rivers State University of Science and Technology, P.M.B. 5080, Port Harcourt, Nigeria

Abstract: Many times the confrontational behaviour of communities and their agents frustrates housing estates developments and thereby dare efforts to remedy the housing estates units' deficit and the sustainability. Especially, in the cultural attitudes and beliefs existing and practiced by the community's people when residential properties are to be improved. The paper's aim is to assess the influence of community's cultural practice in sustainability of residential properties project development. 130 (Nr) Likert-scale questionnaire design and self-administered to the study participants, with response rate of 75% (98 Nr) were achieved and used for the analysis and rendition. The study found that the confrontational and bullying approach used by the communities and/or its agents in practice significantly hinder sustainable residential property development in the Port Harcourt conurbations. The community's-developers/owners compact agreement building and management driven approach, supported by appropriate government policies is recommended as the best option to practice in the specific. Promoting sustainable capacity development programmes and technical training acquisition to the community's people would assist to reduce or eliminate the reckless and illegal attitudes and manners of exploitation by the community. The study reflects by exposing the effects of community culture to the relevant stakeholders in residential property development and sustainability.

Keywords: community culture; community confrontations; housing estates; building projects; property development; sustainable development; Nigeria; landholding assertiveness; residential properties; Nigeria; Port Harcourt; conurbations; sustainability; cultural attitudes.

DOI: 10.1504/AJESD.2016.077371

African Journal of Economic and Sustainable Development, 2016 Vol.5 No.3, pp.193 - 213

Received: 19 Jun 2015
Accepted: 19 Jun 2015
Published online: 29 Jun 2016 *

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