1
M.TECH REASEARCH PROPOSAL
TOPIC:ADAGBAKUJA TOURIST CENTRE
(FUSSION OF ARCHITECTURE AND NATURE)
BY
ADELAKUN FOLUSO AYODEJI
ARC/00/7626
DEPARTMENT OF ARCHITECTURE
FACULTY OF ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGY
FEDERAL UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY
AKURE, ONDO STATE.
LECTURER:
PROF. OLU OLA OGUNSOTE, Ph.D.
April 2008
Proposal Layout.Page
1.0Introduction1
2.0Research Goal and Objectives2
2.1Objectives2
2.2Scope of the Project3
2.3Limitation of Study3
2.4Justification4
3.0Formulation of Research Problems, Questions and
Hypotheses4
3.1Research Questions6
3.2Research Hypotheses8
4.0Research Methodology9
4.1Sources of Data9
4.1.1Primary Source9
4.1.2Secondary Source9
4.1.3Data Matrix10
4.2Data Type10
4.3Sampling Process10
4.4Sampling Techniques10
4.5Sampling Size11
4.6Research Instrument11
4.7Questionnaire Administration11
4.8Data Processing11
4.9Data Analysis11
5.0Research Report12
6.0Expected Contribution to Knowledge12
7.0Work Plan13
References14
1.0Introduction
Tourism is a very broad and fascinating phenomenon covering a vast range of ideas and issues concerning society at large. A precise definition of tourism is difficult because it is by nature a very complex, multifaceted phenomenon. It could be defined as the loosely inter-related amalgam of industries, which arise from the movement of people, and their stay in various destinations outside their home area (Philip, 1982). It could also be described as a business activity connected with providing accommodation, services and entertainment for people who are visiting a place for pleasure.
However, tourism is now a revolutionary social expression. Ever since the paid annual vacation has spread to all working classes, great masses have acquired the desire to see and touch great monuments of past civilization.
Nigeria, the largest black nation in Africa is a heterogeneous nation blessed with rich and diverse culture. The social life style embraces a lot of activities like festivals featuring traditional dances, music, folk lore, masquerades boat regatta, sea shore gaming and so on. All these could be developed as attractions for the tourists. The country’s tropical climate puts us next to nature.Nigerians are essentially outdoor people. It is therefore sheer deprivation to wring our hands helplessly and lament the poor state of tourism in our motherland, which is blessed with all the natural complexes endowed with favorable conditions needed by tourist industry to flourish (Olotuah, 1985).
With 44 potential game reserves, 17 major waterfalls, 13 beach areas, 45 lakes and riverside resorts, 22 hill and mountain areas, several warm and cold springs, Nigeria stands a chance of benefiting immensely from a well developed tourist industry (Adewunmi, 1977). The role of tourism as a revenue generator, ready made solution to balance of payment difficulties, creator of employment opportunities and training of skilled personnel is still valid and will prove its validity as tourist experts have ascertained that, Nigeria stands a chance of earning N53 billion in the next 16 years on tourism if well exploited(source?).
Therefore, the need for the development of our tourist industry cannot be overemphasized. It is time we make up our minds, to work for what is common and what is important, to work for the essence of things so that the treasures of our mind will reflect upon our work, making it stand like a self contained world precise, rich and poor (Candilis, 1967).
Immense and diverse in its landscape as well as in its population a crossroads of cultures, a mosaic of languages, deeply traditional and wide open to modernity, Nigeria cannot leave anybody to it indifferent. Its potential in human and natural resources gives it a position and a weight both in Africa and in the rest of the World which cannot be ignored. Economists, industrialists, businessmen and researchers are all actively interested in its development.
The wealth of the past and of its cultural heritage offer vast fields of investigation, to the historian, the archeologist and the artist.The successful coexistence of diverse people in a federal state, the foregoing of a natural consciousness and at the same time the preservation of local and regional languages, customs and religions, is a political experiment which deserves to be applauded and attentively watched by all those who ponder over the future of the world.
Nigeria has a lot to offer to intelligent and sensitive tourists. It is in this regard that a detailed research is required in tourism in view of guiding the development of Adagbakuja new town as a model tourist resort in order to awaken and stimulate national tourism awareness and to preserve (but depleting) natural and cultural environment.
2.0Research Goal and Objectives
The aim of this project is to design a tourist center that will not only blend architecture with nature but also meet the challenges of sustainable development.
2.1Objectives
The set goal above shall be achieved through the following objectives:-
a)To identify the available resources that can enhance tourism in the locale;
b)To identify all natural features that could facilitate both physical planning and architectural design of the proposed site;
c)To identify the existing social and technical infrastructural facilities in the locale;
d)To evaluate the existing transport services and their conditions;
e)To examine possible problems that could hinder tourism;
2.2Scope of the Project
Adagbakuja New Town Tourists Centre is expected to provide accommodation facilities in the form of chalets or suites, restaurants and bars, relaxation and recreation facilities and administrative section.It is therefore believed that for the fact that the environment is designed for the purpose of a resort for tourists and with all the proposal well implemented and adequately put in place as specified thereby creating a home away from home, the resort shall be judiciously put to use by tourists. This can be attributed to the fact that the intending users just has to be fascinated and thrilled by the exclusiveness and naturalness of the environment and hence, would not be able is resist the urge of making use of the resort.
2.3Limitation of Study
In relation with the objectives of this study, the limitation of this work includes:-
-The geology and topography of the site has dictated the location of all facilities, the form, the type of building materials and the construction techniques.
-Restriction is terms of accessibility to the area since most of the area is on the swamp and the only land route is the new multi-million naira road from Igbokoda to the sea shore going to Lagos.
-The statistics of tourists visiting at different seasons not available in the data bank.
-Constraints of time and money may also present formidable limitation in the research process.
2.4Justification of Study
Ilaje region is endowed with rich crude oil fields. However the unsustainable exploitation of this crude oil has resulted in environmental degradation which is already impacting the natural economic base on which these communities depend.
The effect of Ilaje/Ijaw communal war, coastal erosion and oil spillage has rendered most inhabitants of this region homeless, hence the intervention of Federal Government through Niger Delta Development Commission and (NDDC) and Ondo state government though the Ondo State Oil Producing and Development Commission (OSOPADEC) for the creation of Adagbakuja new town and provision of housing and other infrastructures in Ilaje land.
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The Vitruvious principle of function, aesthetics and stability are very crucial and must be well satisfied for any piece of architecture to be adjudged good. Therefore, for the new town to be adjudged good and complete a comprehensive tourist centrethat will attract both national and international tourists to this part of Nigeria must be incorporated.
The project when completed will provide an international tourist attraction in Ilaje Area and jobs for the local peoples and professionals. In addition, the project shall go a long way at enhancing national income and make for a a shift in consumption to the receiving region.
-Make for a shift in consumption to the receiving region.
-Contribute to a better distribution of the national income
-Supplement international tourism in the receiving nations by raising the utilization of tourist plant and stabilizing employment.
3.0FORMULATION OF RESEARCH PROBLEMS, QUESTIONS AND
HYPOTHESES.
Ever than before, the desire of the Ondo state government to bring succor to the inhabitants of the oil producing areas of the state has been unambiguously expressed. This has led to the establishment of OSOPADEC, a commission whose one of its functions was to ensure the rehabilitation and development of the oil producing areas in the state.
Essentially, the whole length of the southern tip of Ondo state is a coastal zone. This region which is largely inhabited by Ilaje people was carved into Ilaje Local Government Area in 1996. The oil producing communities of Ondo State, Nigeria are located in this Local Government Area. Specifically, Ilaje Local Government falls within the wetland of the Niger-Delta of Nigeria. Its 92 kilometer coastline constitutes a significant proportion of the nation’s 853 kilometer coastline. Being an interface between land and water systems, the region is ecologically complex. The high rainfall and river discharge during rainy season combined with the low, flat terrain and poorly drained soils, cause widespread flooding and erosion. The peculiar narrow continental shelf coupled with the muddy soil that is often characterized of its coastline has aggravated the impacts of coastal erosion in this region. Therefore, this difficult terrain hardly encourages the development of settlements.
In addition, this region is endowed with rich crude oil fields. Notable among these are the oil fields of Awoye, Ojumole and Imoluma. However, the unsustainable exploitation of this crude oil has resulted to environmental degradation which is already impairing the natural economic base on which these communities depend. For example, it has been revealed that the GNP per capita for this region is below the national average of US$280 (The World Bank, 1995). Other peculiar features of this region include high unemployment rate and high cost of living arising from the degradation of land resources.
Specifically, the Ilajes economy thrives on fishing. Unfortunately, several cases of oil spillage had been reported in this region. This coupled with sea incursion arising mainly from seismic operations resulting into collapse of sea bed had led to loss communities, fishes and other aquatic life.
Several reports indicate that Ilaje region has the second fastest disappearing coastline in Nigeria (the first being the Victoria Island coastline). Annual rate of loss of coastland has been put at between 20 to 30 meters. Specifically, in the past two decades 1.2 kilometers of land had been lost to the ocean. This loss is most noticeable around Awoye, Ago Nati, Molutehin, Odofado, Ogogoro, and Ayetoro among others (AIM Consultant Ltd, 1997). In Ayetoro where houses are built in rows, a set of eight rows had been lost to the sea while Ago Awoye is in her sixth location.
To avoid coastal erosion/flooding, most people live in the elevated areas. Housing conditions are generally poor, overcrowded, lacking in most elementary amenities and with insignificant proportion considered physically sound. The entire Ilaje region is not connected to the national grid. No pipe-borne water scheme exists in this LGA. During floods, which in some cases last for over half the year, drinking water often becomes contaminated causing high levels of bacterial, viral, and parasitic outbreaks. Water borne diseases are also severe during the dry season when water supplies are inadequate to dilute contaminants. The only source of safe water for most dwellers is rainwater which is seasonal and limited in quantity. The provision of health facilities in these communities is grossly inadequate. Communication system in the area is generally poor. There are no post offices and telephone facilities. Provisions are not made for solid and human wastes disposal. Inhabitants mainly defecate in the waters. It is a paradox that despite its vast oil reserves, the Ilaje region remains poor and infrastructure is largely undeveloped.
It is therefore the desire of OSOPADEC and NDDC to embark on the development of a new town and the provision of infrastructures that would be secured, environmentally-friendly and ecologically stable where commercial, industrial and social lives shall thrive with sustainable prospects. However, there is no development that is devoid of social and environmental consequences. The need to integrate environmental considerations into this proposed development therefore becomes imperative and urgent.
3.1Research Questions
An in-depth examination of the existing tourist centre in Nigeria, population and infrastructure, social-cultural factors and institutional arrangement is very paramount to this study. The research would therefore endeavor to seek answers to question such as:
-How is architecture going to blend with nature in a man-made environment?.
-What is the total area of the reclaimed proposed new town and what is the height above sea level?.
-What is the level of investment and standard of infrastructure that will attract international tourist to Adagbakuja?
-How far is this new town to the Atlantic Ocean?
-What type of accessibility and security has the government put in place?
-Since international tourism is highly seasonal depending on their legal holiday periods, how is the owner going to cope with their her overhead?
-How does population judge its situation regarding tourist centre?
-Does the population have definite ideas about what constitute tourist attraction in their environment?
-What is the attitude of people towards tourism in the coastal area?
-Which organization is responsible for the provision of infrastructural facilities? What is the level of its investment? Could this level cope with the provision of an international tourist centre?.
-What kind of regulations and laws exist regarding the establishment of a tourist centre?.
-How large and efficient a pool of personnel is there for administration, technical support and training?.
-What kind of settlement pattern is being adopted by the Ilaje people and its effect on the tourist centre?
-What are the gender dimensions to tourist issues? How does this affect the children and women?
The above inquiries will be based primarily on the field investigation to be conducted in the study area. However, these research efforts intend to focus mainly on the provision of a tourist centre in the coastal region of Ondo State and its effect on the lives of the inhabitants of Ilaje, Ondo State and Nigeria in general.
3.2Research Hypotheses
It is obvious from the research questions above that there exist relevant variables from which series of research hypotheses could be formulated. In an attempt to facilitate the interpretation of conclusions from these variables, some of the following null hypotheses could be tested. They include:
-Ho.There is no tourist centre in the coastal region of OndoState.
-Hi.There is a tourist centre in the coastal region of OndoState.
-Ho.Investment on social infrastructures by the state government in the coastal region is not adequate..
-HiInvestment on social infrastructures by the state government in the coastal region is adequate.
-Ho.No significant relationship exists between the coastal area and upland in terms of development and provision of facilities.
-Hi.There is a significant relationship in terms of development and provision of facilities between the coastal area and upland.
-Ho.The cost of transportation in the coastal area is unaffordable by all inhabitants of this region.
-Hi.The cost of transportation in the coastal area is affordable by all inhabitants of this region.
-Ho.People are not willing to go on holidays.
-Hi.People are willing to go on holidays.
Other variables from which hypotheses could be drawn include among others:
(i)The state of road and sea network connection in the Niger Delta region.
(ii)Tourism and gender
(iii)Institution involved in the provision of the tourist centre and managerial efficiency
(iv)The cultural heritage of the inhabitant of the people.
(v)Attraction of foreign tourists
4.0RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Fasakin (2000) describes research methodology as the various processes, procedures, principles, methods and instrumentalities by which data and information are sourced, specified, defined, collected, processed and analyzed. \Olotuah (2000) concludes that research methodology embraces the procedures and methods involved in data gathering, presentation, processing and analysis. Therefore, the following are therefore critical to this study:
4.1Source of Data
Two sources of data collection will be utilized for this research work. They include primary sources and secondary sources.
4.1.1Primary sources: In a attempt to make this research context dependent, a large proportion of the required data for this study shall be generated directly by the author. These shall therefore comprise information and data collected directly though survey employing the usage of questionnaires from the targeted population and the site of research. Also as much as possible the study shall rely on quantitative data. However, where necessary, these shall be supplemented by qualitative data. Quantitative data consists of numbers and empirical facts that can easily be quantified and analyzed using numeric (statistical) techniques. Therefore closed questions also know, as close-ended questions shall be employed in the generation of these data. In contract quantitative data are generally unstructured and consists of words and pictures.
4.1.2Secondary source: These are data generated by somebody else. These sources shall be used to supplement primary data generation. For this purpose, the author shall consult relevant information from textbooks and publications in the research subject. Visitation shall therefore be made to relevant institution, libraries and experts reputable journals (both local and international) documentary reports, surveys news paper and magazines features, relevant theses, dissertations essays micrographs and seminar pears shall be extensively consulted.
4.1.3Data Matrix: This refer to the total number of research variable which will be investigated against established cases. Essential data matrix is expressed as variable-by-cases.
The established cases in this study refer to:
-Institution responsible for the establishment of the tourist centre
-The potential tourists.
Research valuables shall be derived from the following factors. They include among other resources, accessibility, use and environment. Undoubtedly, these factors contain series of attributes that would unfold as the study progresses. Therefore, it is a little bit difficult at this stage to state the size of the research data matrix. One is however sure that the richness in scope of the enumerated factors would enhance the generation of a pool of variable adequate for this study.