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Addressing urban security challenges in Nigeria through neighbourhood renewal: A reflection of Mokola World Bank slum upgrading pilot project

Urban insecurity is among the challenges militating against sustainable urban governance. In the first place it distorts the peace of urban areas making them unsafe. On the other hand it hinders the effective performance of urban functions. Urban security challenges manifest in different forms such as, street violence, theft and robbery, accidents of different types kidnapping, killings etc. Efforts to address urban security challenges in Nigeria have been concentrated in legislative, law enforcement and the use of community vigilante groups. The study examines the potentiality of urban renewal scheme in reducing urban insecurity in Nigeria cities. The place of physical planning strategy through effective neighbourhood renewal as practiced in Mokola, Nigeria is presented as an effective complementary approach for addressing urban insecurity. A total of 298 houses in eight streets in the study area were selected for sampling. The results show that there was a significant improvement in access to health facilities, provides job opportunity within the neighbourhood and ultimately reduced crime and enhanced community security. The paper recommends the need for gradual rehabilitation of urban slum neighbourhoods by the state government in collaboration with World Bank and other development financiers. The local governments should be made autonomy in Nigeria so as to make them more responsible to the people. Other recommendations suggested in the paper include creating enabling environment that will promote economic empowerment and public enlighten on personal and community sanitation. It is certain that if these recommendations are adopted the challenge of urban insecurity will reduce significantly in Nigerian cities.