Effects of Urbanization on Soil Quality in the Global South: The Case of Offa, Northcentral Nigeria

This chapter examines the effects of urbanization on soil quality using a case study of Offa, Kwara State, Nigeria. Offa is an emerging urban center in Kwara State that has experienced tremendous urban expansion since the creation of local government in 1991, a phenomenon that negatively affect soil parameters and carbon accumulation through the construction of various structures and facilities in this area. Rapid urbanization has inescapably increased pressure on the amount of available agricultural land and quality environment as well as quality food. This has led to the detrimental accumulation of soil carbon and loss of soil leading to shrinkage and leaching of soil nutrients. An examination of soil physicochemical characteristics and carbon accumulation in Offa was carried out and the effect of soil carbon accumulation on agriculture was analyzed. Sustainable management to mitigate the challenges of soil carbon accumulation was also determined using numbers of purposive questionnaire to elicit information from residents. The results show that there is a significant decrease in soil quality due to urbanization at the expense of light vegetation, and soil conservation has decreased significantly by at least 60%. This chapter concludes that urban planning and the preservation of the limited high-quality soils to prevent urban sprawl into low-quality soil areas and soil loss through carbon accumulation and nutrient loss should be encouraged. It is also important to accelerate rural regeneration to limit low-density settlement growth and safeguard adjacent farmland for agricultural production. The tracking of soil quality dynamics in relation to soil properties and carbon accumulation is also paramount. Finally, sustainable development in a fast-growing urban metropolis like Offa may be achieved by successfully balancing human activities, soil quality, and soil resources.