Urban Fragility and the Aspiration for a Resilient City: Some Reflections on Jos Metropolis, Nigeria

Abstract

Urban fragility is a phenomenon that is conditioned by an accumulation of risks factors leading to crises, disruptions and destructions of varying scales in urban areas. Urban resilience seeks to mitigate fragility or counter its effects. It is on this theoretical footing that this empirical study is conducted in Jos metropolis in north central Nigeria, a location that has over the years accumulated devastating risks factors in spite of efforts to achieve resilience. Accordingly, the study undertakes an analysis of the scale of urban fragility along with the initiatives taken to improve resilience and mitigate the effects of fragilities in Jos metropolis. To this end, a wide range of secondary source material pertaining to nature and sources of fragilities and their impacts on humans, properties and supply of services was collected and combined with observations and lived experience for critical analysis. The analysis confirms that locational exposure of Jos to natural disasters in form of rainstorms and flash floods, as well as the absence of mitigation strategies, was responsible for fragilities leading to deaths, loss of property and disruptions of the supply of utility services on a seasonal basis. Other fragilities resulting from poor local governance, environmental degradation and overstretching of resources also produce environmental and socioeconomic impacts. It is concluded that human activities and the absence of adequate regulations at the city level expose the urban population to hazards. Further analysis suggests that resilient initiatives were tailored at improving urban governance, the institutional framework and the legal as well as regulatory mechanisms. While these efforts quite aligned with resilient intentions, they were, however, affected by inconsistencies and delayed implementation. Appropriate recommendations for upturning this situation in Jos metropolis are offered in the study.