Original Paper

Accepted: June, 2023

Assessment of Building Conversion in Ijapo

Residential Estate Akure, Nigeria
F.K. Omole 2A.D. Joshua
1
1&2
Department of Urban and Regional Planning, Federal University of Technology,
Akure, Ondo State, Nigeria
1fkomole@futa.edu.ng 2joshuadebbie15@gmail.com

*Correspondence Author:2joshuadebbie15@gmail.com

Key Words
Building use, Building Conversion,
Planning scheme, Master Plan
Physical planning and control

Abstract
Building conversion mostly affect the finding shows that most of the buildings in Ijapo
functionality and livability of the environment residential estate were converted showing a
leading to the reduction in the standard of living higher percentage of deviation on both the
of residents in such area which requires adequate original and existing master plan.
attention. If attention is not given to this issue of
Introduction
indiscriminate change of use which lacks
Change in building use is a global
approval from the necessary authority, the aim
phenomenon occurring over time which could be
of planning which is to provide a balanced,
noticed either in a mild or holistic scale in a
comfortable and well pleasing environment
particular urban center (Raharjo, 2005) . The
would be defeated. This study, thereby tend to
present great interest in analyzing change in
assess the building conversion of Ijapo
building use has stemmed a concern over the
residential estate with a view to ascertain the
demographic, economic and environmental
level of building plan deviation from the original
variables relating to the spatial structure of an
design and subsequently proffer sustainable
urban area (Irwin and Bockstael, 2006).
solution to the problems. The scope of the study
However, the trend of urban growth in
is limited to building conversion which is a
developing countries has been on rapid increase
micro perspective of land use study. The study
with approximately 62 million inhabitants
addressed building conversion in terms of its
annually requiring about 16 million new
pattern and distribution and approval at
accommodation units to be added to meet the
completion in the selected estate using the
existing residential stock (Ujoh, 2011)
restrictive technique of planning and creative
Conversion of building use refers to the
technique of planning concept. The study
change in the use of a building from the purpose
annexed both primary and secondary sources for
for which it was originally used or intended to be
data collection. Ijapo residential master plan
used (Benedict, Emmanuel, and Samuel, 2016).
were gotten from Ondo State Development and
Conversion in the use of buildings from
Property Corporation both (pre 2002, 2012 and
residential to other uses has increased in recent
2022) and 717 residential buildings were
years in areas which predominantly have been
identified using Autocad and SPSS. The 717
used for residential purposes (Benedict,
buildings were multiplied by 5hpb (household
Emmanuel and Samuel, 2016). The issue of
per building) which amount to 3585 household
building conversion is not a new thing all over
within the study area. Out of which 50% of the
the world. This is perhaps why it has become a
total building makes 358 buildings that were
major problem when development control
selected randomly for the research because
ministries fail to put order in place (Jimoh,
majority of the buildings have experienced
Omole and Omosulu, 2013).The conversion of
restructuring, redevelopment as against what is
use of buildings in cities of the developing world
in the approved master plan of the estate and
is often from residential to other uses with the
have changed hands several times before the
latter having serious impacts or dis-economies
time of this study survey and many of the
on the adjacent residences and their occupants
original landlords in these areas were not
(Angela and Ifeanyi, 2022).
traceable for interview. Field data were analyze
using descriptive methods and the results of the

F.K. Omole and A.D. Joshua 1

URP, FUTA 2023
 Most of the urban residents have
resorted to informal businesses which thrive in
their thousands in the cities of less developed
countries, transforming them into hives of
activities as a result of recession ridden
economies (Aluko, 2010). This led to building
conversion which can be seen as a change in
function or change in use or adjustment and
alteration from an existing usage of a building,
such as converting a residential building and
making it suitable for hotel which is a
commercial use, a church also may be converted
into an apartment, an apartment also may be
converted into a sachet or bottle water factory in
order to meet new requirement or use (Ademola,
2010). All these businesses are pitched in stiff
competition with residential uses for dwindling
space in the cities. In Nigeria, evidence abounds
in major cities of the conversion of buildings in
residential areas to other use (Omyebueke, 2006;
Jinadu, 2005; Sule, 2008)
The rapid pace of urbanization in the
third world cities particularly in Nigeria has
brought about arbitrary changes in building use
which has become evident in most cities to the
extent that a piece of land or a building serves
many different purposes at the same time thus
making it difficult to define a given area as
either residential or other uses (Omiunu, 2014).
Change in building use has further brought about
a new beginning of transformation, change and
new development processes in the built-up urban
environment (Ademola, 2010). As a result, it can
be seen in most cases that a piece of
land/building serves as many purposes at the
same time ranging from residential to
commercial, recreational, or institutional which
makes it difficult to define clearly the use to
which a particular land is put (Ademola, 2010).
Hence, one can find a land being used as
residential and also other uses such as a shop or
office, likewise the setbacks, roadsides and
streets have not been left out but have been
converted to other centers, thereby falling short
of their intended purposes (Onokerhoraye and
Omuta, 2006).
Building conversion mostly affect the
functionality and livability of the environment
leading to the reduction in the standard of living
of residents in the area. This study, thereby tend
to examine the arbitrary change of urban
residential to other uses in Ijapo residential
estate in Akure, Ondo -State, with a view to
bring out salient factors that stimulates change in
building use and to address same. More so, the
study will also look at the reasons and effects in
terms of problems associated with this change of
use in relation to the impact and consequences of
uses on the neighborhood.
F.K. Omole and A.D. Joshua
URP, FUTA 2023
The high rate of urbanization and population
explosion has placed strong demand on
residential infrastructure. The high cost of land
for development, high cost of rent has made the
government to intervene in social residential
provision and delivery in Nigeria.
A study conducted by Farooq, (2022)
shows that since other land use sprawls into the
adjourning residential neighborhoods entails the
conversions of existing residential vacant lots or
buildings to other premises; the number of
residential property taken over by other/retail
buildings are not equally replaced within the
same neighborhoods. Most of the urban centers
are experiencing rapid economic growth phases,
continuous change in residential building use
within the core area of urban city to other
building uses could consequently result to decay
in the fabric of it’s residential neighborhoods
over time in diverse ways (Sydney, 2012) .The
spatial distribution of other activities within the
core area of urban center and in the adjourning
residential areas of our urban center could be
traced to profit maximization motives of the
business operators and house owners, as well as
easy accessibility of other activities within the
residential neighborhoods than that of the central
districts. The rapid change of building use from
residential to other uses is also predominant in
Akure, the Capital of Ondo State, However, this
study will select Ijapo Residential Estate in
Akure South Local Government to assess the
effect of building conversion in the area on the
resident of the area (from residential to other
uses like hotel, Schools, Hospital, playground
viz-a-viz etc) and to also proffer sustainable
solutions to menace that might arise from
building conversion in the area.
Addressing the existing building use pattern of
the estate, general level of building plan
deviation in the study area (fully, partial), factors
responsible for residential building conversion in
the study area, the impacts of building
conversion on the existing planning scheme in
the study and if the situation is redeemable.The
change in residential use of building coupled
with higher demand for other uses led to the
continuous increase in rent in the study area. The
returns realized from the properties used for
other purposes is greater than that of properties
used for residential purposes. Due to these
greater returns most residential property owners
prefer their property be used for other profitable
ventures.
This study will assess the impact of
building conversion in Ijapo residential estate of
Akure the state capital of Ondo state. It will also
identify the existing building use pattern within
the residential estate and examine the extent of
building conversion to other uses.Building
2
conversion are continuous phenomena in
residential estates. The scope of the study is
limited to building conversion which is a micro
perspective of land use study. The study
addressed building conversion in terms of its
pattern and distribution and approval at
completion in the selected estate. Variables and
factors that are associated with the event of such
conversion were identified and the variables
were subjected to further analysis to show the
ones that significantly predict the event of use
conversion. The study employed a temporal
appraisal with focus on three periods, namely
pre-2002, 2012 and the year 2022. The study
will also identify the factors responsible for
residential properties conversion in the estate
and also assess the impact of building
conversion on the existing planning scheme. The
study will also examine the impact conversion of
building has brought to the estate, the dwellers
and to the environment and check if the current
situation of the estate is redeemable
Although the phenomena (building conversion)
are much more pronounced in Ijapo residential
Estate which was purposely selected because of
the need to meet with the landlord or someone
that knows the history of the selected residential
estate. Majority of the buildings have
experienced restructuring, redevelopment and
have changed hands several times before the
time of this study survey and many of the
original landlords in these areas were not
traceable for interview.
Literature Review
Change in the use of land/building as defined by
Oluleye, (2006) is any development or use
which is different from the use last approved by
the planning authority while he described
material change in use as the physical alteration
of existing zoning conforming structure. One
reason why no theory of building use pattern
subsists in the long run can be explained using
the analysis of the highest and best use which
seeks to explain the competition for space
among various human activities. Decisions to
use land for a particular purpose as well as
demand for land at various points in time is
subject to change. Households and corporate
organizations at some point in time may need to
expand, thus, either relocating or engage in
redevelopment of existing structures (Oluleye,
2006).
The high incidence of residential conversion is
one of the major problems confronting Nigerian
cities. However, property owners in most of
Nigeria cities clamor for such conversions of
residential building to other uses which they see
as an avenue for maximizing rents but experts
view residential conversion as an aberration to
F.K. Omole and A.D. Joshua
URP, FUTA 2023
residential stock and alteration to physical
planning scheme. Some experts have attributed
residential shortages in Nigerian cities to
residential conversion, others have blamed it on
high rent, inadequate residential supply etc.
Urbanization
Worldwide, more than half of the population is
living in urban areas (Lakes and Lautenbach
2008). Specifically, it is estimated that urban
population will double by 2050, where urban
population will grow from 3.3 billion in 2007 to
6.4 billion in 2050 (United Nations, 2008).
Ironically, these new urban dwellers will
concentrate in cities of developing nations. This
population concentration leads to immense
impacts on the human environmental system in
terms of economic, social, and ecological issues.
Facing these challenges is complicated by the
high dynamics of urban building use patterns.
This has happened in phases; first, the
advancement of science and technology which
midwife the birth of industrialization and then
urbanization. Urbanization brought about
increase in population which is the resultant
effect of movement of people from locations that
have lesser chances of economic survival to
locations with higher chances. Rapid growth has
in recent years constituted a major problem
facing many cities of the world (Mabogunje,
1968). This growth has resulted into competition
between the limited resources of land with its
ever-increasing use.
Also, unplanned change of use has implications
on the residential situation. This is as a result of
the fact that very limited spaces are now left for
residential uses, as succession by other uses have
set in, thereby, worsening the residential
shortage problem. This succession by other uses
has brought about shortage in residential
facilities for residential purposes. Inhabitants of
the residential houses are not left with any other
option than to move out in search of other
houses. The increasing level of traffic associated
with change of use has resulted to problems
which the government must use scarce resources
to solve (Amao, 2012). If adequate attention is
not given to this issue of indiscriminate change
of use which lacks approval from the necessary
authority, the aim of planning which is to
provide a balanced, comfortable and well
pleasing environment would be defeated. A
particular building use can change into another
building use as a piece of land can change from
its natural use as a forest to being used as a
farmland before it becomes space to build
residential uses thus having a regime of
succession of building uses (Ademola, 2010).
3
Invasion Succession Theory
The theory of invasion succession is based on
the principle of which a particular building use
invades an area and dominates it, thereby
succeeding the existing building use. This
succession process is preceded by “invasion”.
Invasion is the penetration of one use by another
owing to economic, social and cultural deviance
between the old and the new which may
ultimately lead the invading building use to
succeed the old use Barlowe (1978). He
reported further that this phenomenon is usually
as a result of the characteristics of land resources
to move to uses that offer the highest return for
the utilization of net income that can accrue to a
parcel of land essentially limited.
Invasion succession are common occurrence in
the area under study. For example, Henry
Fajemirokun/ Owo Avenue in Ijapo etc which
were mainly for residential purposes have given
room for the invasion of other uses which now
has a domineering effect on the old uses i.e.
residential uses (Authors survey, 2023). The
study by Sui and Zeng (2001), Xia and Liu
(2018) also monitor building use changes,
identify driving forces and map areas
experiencing intense building use transformation.
Time after time properties have been developed
for particular uses only to be redeveloped within
a few months or years for other uses that
promise higher net benefit or net return (Barlowe,
1978).
There is also the inevitable process of
obsolescence and reconstruction. Due to the
diversity of human activities, various land use
exist with a particular building use determined
by topography, climate past (and present) social
and religious, custom, legislation and legal
decisions, demands for goods and services
(including varying consumer preferences) and
the policy of local and central government in the
supply of public utilities and social services
(Smits 2019). This practice of invasion and
succession results in the highest and best use of
land. In Akure, Fawehinmi (2002) observed that
shops and offices compete for space particularly
along major transportation routes. For Ghazali
(1999), access to transportation, markets,
functional utilities and business requirements
tends to attract new firm to central areas because
of increased cost of doing business out the CBD
but as these firms mature, they require more
space. This development leads to relocation to
low rent areas or causes building use change on
form of property conversion to take place.
According to Olusina, (2008) “the conversion of
one use to another is due to non-proper
enforcement of the existing planning
regulations’’. However, it could be said that this
development is in realization of the principle of
F.K. Omole and A.D. Joshua
URP, FUTA 2023
highest and best use thus, ascertaining the
relevance of the theory. The existing planning
laws have struggled to survive in the face of
soaring demand for economic activities but
because of the inevitable factor of obsolescence
of existing buildings with worth depreciating
value, invading prospective economic activities
with higher returns succeed existing use and the
influence of planning laws thus resulting in
property conversion. Finally, though property
conversion is a sound economic adjustment that
seeks to allocate land to its highest and best use
and which identifies issues of rents and property
management as reasons for such conversion, it
should be regarded as an illegal activity (Olusina,
2008)
Existing literature which examines the issue of
building-use conversion is limited except those
that analyses land-use conversion which is a
macro spatial phenomenon. The study of land-
use change referred to as change detection and
the growth of urban centers have gained
prominence in recent years and the reason is that
there is need for proper building use planning to
control haphazard developments that
characterized the city systems in most
developing countries (Olusina, 2008). Studies on
land use change have lots of findings among
which is that of Kaur et.al (2005) in Dewas city
in Madhya Pradesh. The study revealed that
there was increasing rate of population in 1991
and that population is almost doubled in one
decade and that the land area also increased by
55.15 percent within the decade at the cost of the
loss of fertile agriculture land.
Qiong (2005) used satellite remote sensing and
geographic information system (GIS) to
investigate building use change dynamics in
Beijing. They observed that, there had been a
notable and uneven urban growth and a major
loss of cropland between 1986 and 2001. It was
noted that most of the urban growth and loss of
agriculture land occurred in inner and outer
suburbs. Fabiyi, (2006) in his study of urban
building use change analysis of Ibadan
traditional city found that there were
considerable dynamic changes in Ibadan
metropolis and major contributor to these
changes were the loss of vegetal cover, low
density settlement and development of sprawl.
Use-Conversion and Underpinning Factors
Akure metropolis that is characterized by rapid
urbanization has shown that there are more
migrants moving into the metropolis like all
other cities in Nigeria put together as reported in
UN-HABITAT, (2001) reports. For example,
between 1952 and 1963, the population of
municipal Lagos rose from 267,407 to 665,246
(an annual increase of 8.6 per cent). Outside the
4
municipality have amassed a further 424,622
people since 1963, making a metropolitan total
of 1,089,868. The metropolitan population thus
grew by 19.2 per cent per annum. The 1991
Census result for Lagos state was over 5 million
and this has risen to over 9 million in 2006.
Rupesh (2014) in India found out that the growth
of Ranchi city and its built-up area is due to
population growth, which increases demand for
land and the city expansion towards fringe areas.
Most of the extension occurred at the cost of
scanty fertile and plain agriculture land, since
the city is surrounded by hills and plateaus. Ever
growing difference between demand and supply
of residential sites has increased stress on the
fringe areas while prices of agriculture land
continue to increase for residential and industrial
purposes, and the cost of land in the city is
rapidly reaching new heights. Also, in China,
with a similar pace of urbanization as Nigeria in
terms of population pressure, Webster (2002)
identified that the rapid urbanization in China
has forced agricultural communities to adjust to
an urban or industrial way of life in a very short
time and also, the development of informal
residential and illegal building use by migrants
has led to uncontrolled construction activities
and caused further dissipation of space.
Invariably, urban building use change is in
response to population growth, urbanization and
other political and socio-economic factors.
Conceptual Framework
The Restrictive Planning Technique Concept
This includes the concept of development
control: like the use of laws, Decree, Edit,
Zoning etc to enforce and direct development.
This study conceptual framework shows the
linkage between building plan approvals, as
prescribed by the authority within the master
plan as guided by zoning policy. The policy
operates as a prescriptive instrument by
specifying what type of structure or activity
structure that is permitted in a given area. In
addition, the same policy operates as a control
and monitoring instrument when building has
been constructed by specifying the illegality of
use conversion except by approval. The
effectiveness of the regulatory policy as
prescribed under zoning failed because of
monitoring policy that was not effective. Since
there is no monitoring that ensures adherence
and enforcement of the prescribed policy there is
propensity for building-use conversion when the
variables in the building and neighborhoods are
present. These are the extent to which the
socioeconomic status of landlords, such as
ownership, availability and the source of funding
for building, ownership transfer arrangement and
F.K. Omole and A.D. Joshua
URP, FUTA 2023
the residential market demand trigger use
conversion. (Sule, 2008).
Furthermore, the control and monitoring
function of the policy include the sanction
component which penalizes building use
contravention. The sanction compromises the
initial prescription in a way that if you can afford
the penalty fee for contravening you can have
the authority’s approval for any use outside the
prescribed use spelt out under the metropolitan
master plan. Use-conversion eventually brings
about high intensity of usage pressure on utilities
which affects the degree of serviceability of the
utilities/surrogates. Variation in the usage
pressure will affect the degree of slum-ward
changes in the attributes of slum-indicator
variables. While timely intervention may reverse
continuous degradation to higher levels of slum
degeneration, its absence fast tracks transition
from the slum incipience stage to slum
maturation. In a metropolitan setting, two
possible equity related Pareto questions emerge
from the above scenario. The first pertains to
how the pains or the liabilities connected with
the utility over-use is shared among the major
function-differentiated regions in such
metropolis, while the second addresses how such
liabilities are borne by the major stakeholders
affected by building-use conversion namely the
landlord and the tenants (Benedict et al, 2016).
The Creative Planning Technique Concept
This includes preparation of master plan,
structure plans among others. According to
Omole (1999), habitation has been a major
concern of man in his studies and struggles for
survival on earth. He stressed further that
“residential use” is a residential and essential
environment which is of primary importance to
man in all its ramifications i.e a planned
residential environment is more than a mere
shelter because it embraces all the social services
and utilities that makes up a community or
neighborhood.
Ola (1984) traced the origin of planning scheme
in Nigeria to 1924 when a bubonic plague hit the
city of Lagos, in which the worst affected areas
were the dirty, environmentally degraded
neighbourhood of Lagos State that prompted in
1929 the establishment of the Lagos Executive
Development Board (LEDB) to undertake Town
Planning Scheme in the worst affected areas
followed by the Yaba Estate scheme (LEDB
1963), it took nearly a decade to complete. From
this, the idea of scheme project spread to other
parts of the country particularly towns like Jos,
Calabar, Enugu, Port-Harcourt, Ibadan etc
receiving its backing in the Town and Country
Planning Law of 1946 patterned and tailored
5
after the 1932 British Town and Country is between 18 and 33°C. River Osisi cut across
Planning Law. the estate at the central part and flows south into
Akinsunlola (1998) agreed that an approved River Ala. The estate hosts some other centers
planning scheme is successful when it is such as petroleum products sales outlets, schools,
properly designed, implemented, executed and hotels and guesthouses and shopping malls
administered to meet its set objectives. which further heightened the demand for
According to him, these could be achieved when portable water within the estate. Residents in the
the following (a-g) are accomplished strictly in estate depend largely on hand-dug wells and
accordance with the provision of the scheme motorized boreholes for domestic and other
a) All surveys, particularly survey parcel have water supply.
been completed, such that the scheme, the
boundaries of the scheme and of all plots and
services can be easily identified on the site
b) All plots on different building uses-
residential,commercial, institutional etc. have
been built according to specifications in the
approved scheme
c) All deficiencies in the scheme have been
identified in the course of implementation and
rectified accordingly
d) Occupants / User habits are in conformity
with the approved scheme no illegal change of
use or other structural conversion on site
e) Population density and overcrowding are put
under control Figure 1: Akure street guide showing Ijapo
f) Security in form of proper provision for safety Residential Estate
of life and property is guaranteed. Source: Ondo State Development and Property
g) All infrastructures in the scheme areas have Corporation Extract, (2022).
been put in place. This includes drains, roads,
electricity, water etc.

Methodology
The research was limited to Ijapo residential
Estate in Akure, which formed the focus of the
study. Akure is centrally located, being
surrounded with a 48-kilometer radius by those
important towns Akure North and Akure South
Local Government as shown in figure 4 below. It
is bounded by Ondo and Idanre to the south,
Owo to the east, Iju/Itaogbolu to the north and
Ile-oluji to the west. The city’s morphology has
changed over time to assume its present status
with its attendant land problems, as experienced
in similar medium sized urban centers in Nigeria.
Ijapo residential Estate as at the time of this
study is the first residential estate in Ondo State,
and well planned as shown figure 1. It is located
northeast of Akure town within longitudes
5°12.307' E and 5°16.552' E and latitudes
7°15.859' N and 7°16.552' N in (Fig. 3) below.
The area is easily accessible with road
network with about 717(seven hundred and
seventeen) plots of building in which the
conversion of buildings has emerged as an
important activity of those land owners in Ijapo.
Ijapo residential Estate is situated on a gently
undulating terrain with elevation between 330
and 364m above mean sea level. The area lies in
the tropical rain forest with mean annual rainfall
of about 1300mm. The annual mean temperature
Figure 2: Master plan of Ijapo Residential
Estate
Source: Ondo State Development and Property
Corporation Extract, (2022)
For this study, related data to the course of study
were collected from the selected resident
especially the property owners/ head of family
within Ijapo residential association of landlords
and landlady’s, Ondo State Lands and Housing,
Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban
Development, Ondo State development and
property corporation and National population
commission (NPC). However, for the purpose of
this research work, two major sources of data
were adopted and this include primary and
secondary sources of data. The primary data for
this study were gotten from sampled buildings
within Ijapo residential estate which help to

F.K. Omole and A.D. Joshua 6

URP, FUTA 2023
gather vital information on the level of building
use and changes in planning scheme within the
estate. The secondary source of information
includes journals, seminar papers, dissertations,
published and unpublished books, population
statistics related to infrastructure development,
AutoCAD, and maps sourced from the library,
internet, archives and institutions. Table 1 shows
the existing number of buildings in Ijapo
planning scheme and estimated household per
building and Table 2 show the method of
analysing the objectives.

Findings plots in the estate were converted into mixed use

Existing building use pattern of the estate
The finding as presented in figure 3.1 and fig 4.1
shows that the existing building use of the estate
were shifted predominantly from residential
estate to mixed building use estate since other
building use in the estate as presented in the
figure 3and 4 below shows that over 80 plots in
the estate were totally converted to other uses
while some of the buildings were converted
totally as presented, 56 plot out of the total 717
(in which some part are being used for
residential use while other part of the plot were
converted into either other use like school) as
presented in figure 3.1 and 4.1 respectively. This
implies that from the finding it could be deduced
that the existing building use pattern of the estate
is Residential estate with the presence of
numerous hospitality business for commercial,
institutional and other usage in the estate as as
against the original planning scheme of the
estate as presented in figure 3.1.

Figure 3: Original Building use in Ijapo Residential Master plan

Source: Ondo State Development and Property Corporation Extract, (2022).

Fig 3.1: Deviated/ existing Building use in Ijapo Residential Master plan

F.K. Omole and A.D. Joshua 7

URP, FUTA 2023
Source: Ondo State Development and Property Corporation Extract, (2022).

F.K. Omole and A.D. Joshua 8

URP, FUTA 2023
Figure 4: Primary use of the land
Source: Author’s field survey, 2023.
Figure 4.1: Present use of the land
Source: Author’s field survey, 2023.
General level of building plan deviation in the
study area from Pre 2002, 2012-2022 (Partial
or fully)
Comparing the general level of building
plan deviation from the approved planning
scheme of 717 total approved building plan
allocated to allotees in the study area as shown
in Table 4.1 and 4.2 reveals that Ijapo residential
estate had shifted mainly from its original
residential use of 98.3% in pre 2002 to 75% in
2012-2022, pre 2002 there were no mixed
building use previously but currently risen to
F.K. Omole and A.D. Joshua
URP, FUTA 2023
7.5% as seen in figure 13, commercial use had
shifted from 0.3% pre 2002 to 12.2% on the
current landuse as shown in figure 4.1,
institutional use had risen to 4.6% from its initial
approval 0.8% while open spaces meant for
recreational purposes had reduced from 0.6% to
0.1% as a result of deviating to other profitable
uses for profit making causing a partial shift
from residential usage to commercial and mixed
use in the study area, thereby residential use
scarcity and rent increment.
9
Objective 3 (Factors responsible for building
conversion)
Building conversion which is referred
to as change in building use from one usage to
another is discussed distinctly. The reason for
building conversion in the study area were
deduced from the table that 58.2% of the
residents agree that the reason for building
conversion in Ijapo residential area were profit
making, abandoned properties and personal
motive while 18.1% of the residents agree on
personal motive, 13.6 agreed on abandoned
properties and 16.0 of the residents agree on
profit making. Which implies that there is
numerous reason for building conversion in the
study area but from the finding on the cause of
the study it has been shown that the major reason
were profit making i.e the resident wants to
generate more income from his or her existing
structure by converting part of a residential
building to other or for church as shown in
figure 15 below, abandoned properties (some
abandoned building in the area where also
converted to other use to discourage the area
from harboring crime while some intentionally
Figure 5: Effect of building conversion to the Residents
Source: Author field survey, 2023.
F.K. Omole and A.D. Joshua
URP, FUTA 2023
convert their building to another use for personal
motive among them were those who are unable
to manage the building environment alone, in
need of neighbors within the building among
others to avoid loneliness and other personal
motives
Effect of building conversion on house owner
In order to achieved the stated aim of the study,
the study also find out the effect of building
conversion on house owner. The figure 5
illustrated that the major effect of building
conversion on the building owner is to improve
there source of income, 24.6% agreed on
personal motive, 19.6% agreed on development
guideline while 19.6% out the total respondent
agreed that the effect of building conversion is to
prevent abandonment within the environment as
shown in Plate 1. It can be deduced from the
findings that the effect of residential
transformation on house owner in Ijapo is to
improve their source of income due to that fact
that the converted area will be lease out or use
for other purpose which will in long run increase
their primary source of income..
10
Plate 1: A Residential story-building totally converted into Institutional use along Ondo Road
Street, Ijapo residential Estate.
Source: Author’s field survey, 2023.
Examining if the situation is redeemable
Since the findings has categorically shown that
there is residential conversion at Ijapo residential
estate, the study tends to examine if the current
situation can be redeemable back to residential
estate. Then the findings from Ijapo residents
and residential corporation shows that the
situation can be partially redeemable by zoning
some parts of the estate which are presently
occupied with hospitality business to hospital
business whereas areas with one or two other
activities should be enforce to convert it back to
residential area, all mixed building use within
the estate should also be converted back to
residential estates while place of worship
building within the estate should also regulate
their service from causing noise pollution within
the area. This implies that for Ijapo to redeem
his lost glory of being a residential estate, zoning,
and regulations in conforming to make the
planning scheme a successful one will need to
come to play within the estate to ensure
compatible building use, make residential
landuse return back to its 99% and make the
estate liveable.
Conclusion
The baseline information provided in this study
is crucial to improve strategic planning in all
residential estate and urban/environmental
sustainability of Planning Scheme adherence in
Akure, Nigeria, and across the Globe, where
building use planning faces similar challenges to
address the haphazard usage of approved
building plan patterns and deviation control
F.K. Omole and A.D. Joshua
URP, FUTA 2023
using the restrictive and creative planning
concept in curbing such menace.
Recommendation
The study made the following recommendation
to policy makers, Ijapo resident and residential
corporation after successfully carry out the field
work for the study
1. The planning scheme must be followed
using the restrictive technique of
planning to maintain the original
building use of the estate
2. Intensive enforcement and recruitment
of professional staff to curb building
plan deviation before, during and after
any development is completed and
those completed should be redress
3. The corporation should ensure that they
monitor any new development or
redevelopment within the estate to
ensure that they comply with the
approve planning scheme.
4. For the situation to be redeemable
public enlightenment with Ijapo
Resident Association on the adverse
effect of building conversion on the
environment must done periodically.
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ABOUT THE AUTHORS

JOSHUA ADEREMILEKUN DEBORAH DEPARTMENT OF URBAN AND

MTECH (MNITP, RTP) REGIONAL PLANNING
FEDERAL UNIVERSITY OF
PROFESSOR FELIX KAYODE OMOLE TECHNOLOGY AKURE
SUPERVISOR (FNITP, RTP)

F.K. Omole and A.D. Joshua 13

URP, FUTA 2023