Rural sense of community of Oja in Nigeria

Abstract

The success of neighbourhood open space planning, design, and management in uniting diverse ethnic groups depends on the interaction between the cultural perceptions, utilization, satisfaction, and sharing capability of its residents. Recent developments in the field of built environment have led to an interest in exploring the perception of neighbourhood open spaces and its impact on the sense of community of residents. There are numerous types of open spaces in the Nigerian neighbourhood environment such as the market square, sports and playground areas, streets space, public plazas, and town parks. This study focuses on the market square known as oja, which remains a significant character in the context of Nigerian rural neighbourhood spaces. Currently, there has been little effort in the exploration of the significance of oja towards achieving harmonious social relationship among residents of diverse ethnicity. To address this gap, this research explores the potential contributions of resident perception towards oja in achieving a sense of community through the meaning and attachment to the place. A quantitative research approach was adopted in order to explore the people-place relationship. The data extracted from 382 fully completed purposive survey questionnaires were analyzed using Statistical Program for Social Sciences version 22 (SPSS) and Analysis of a Moment Structure (AMOS) software package version 22 via Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) techniques. The results obtained were triangulated with feedback from 50 observed users and 35 focus group interviewees to test the research hypotheses and answer research questions. The research findings reveal that oja connotes a new meaning of cultural heritage. Also, a new hub of interactive concepts can be established consisting of ten main actors and five forms of relationships among oja’s users of different ethnicities. Residents were physically and socially connected to the present location of oja and therefore opted for its re-planning rather than being relocated. In addition, residents’ utilization of oja positively impacts their sense of community and satisfaction. Conclusively, spatial improvements for oja could better achieve a sense of community among residents, which plays a vital role in rural development and sustainability. Thus, the research recommends an appropriate managerial policy formulation and introduction of clearly defined social interaction spaces in the future planning and design of oja in Nigeria. This research outcome is beneficial to all stakeholders in the field of built environment through establishing the significance of creating oja as a sustainable neighbourhood open space in Nigeria.