In this blog, James Okolie-Osemene from Wellspring University, reflects on what he learned from a recent training workshop on neighbourhood research, and notes the importance of community actors and associations in gaining trust of communities. The views are the authors own and are not attributable to SHLC.
Urban sustainability has become one of the dominant discourses in contemporary Nigerian society.
Population increase, urban crime, water scarcity, and inadequate infrastructure means that daily life is associated with risks. The city is known for noise pollution, congestion, and litter as a result poor refuse disposal, among other negative attributes, and various governments have no other option other than to embark on urban renewal to restore sanity and stabilise neighbourhoods.
Sustainable livelihoods are critical for the welfare of families living in slum areas. As already noted by urban scholars, city life is characterised by neighbourhood experience in which different social groups emerge in communities where they choose their location. This explains the existence of slums and other informal settlements in urban areas.
There is hardly any urban area in Nigeria that does not have locations that are exclusively populated by low-income earners who do not have the financial capacity to rent houses in more developed areas with modern housing units and related infrastructure.
Gaining trust with insider knowledge
To investigate and address issues in slum areas neighbourhood studies can be conducted with different methodological approaches, either qualitative or quantitative. But at the workshop, I learned that these approaches require innovation in observation, interaction, information sharing, and ethical consideration. During the field investigation in Ebute-Ilaje, we were welcomed to the peaceful community at the community hall. Entry points were a really important part of the field trip, and different groups of researchers were assisted to hold interviews by community members (insiders) who have excellent knowledge of the study area and had already initiated discussions before researchers began to present their research questions. These entry points were instrumental in helping to facilitate the interviews and made it possible for the residents to have confidence in the researchers to protect their interest.
In fact, insiders’ presence, language use and influence in the study area helped us complete the fieldwork as planned. With them leading the way at waterlogged Ilaje, due to overflowing Lagos Lagoon, researchers had the courage to cross the flooded walkways.
The entry points, who are members of the slum dwellers association, developed the participatory model that was used by the researchers, which helped to prevent suspicion and negative community perception about the intention of the researchers. The transect walk and in-depth interviews conducted during the field investigation enabled the researchers to engage with residents and also observe the environmental, health and development problems that undermine sustainable livelihoods in the community. This approach enriched the observations as researchers moved from one household to another.
"During the field investigation in Ebute-Ilaje, we were welcomed to the peaceful community at the community hall. Entry points were a really important part of the field trip, and different groups of researchers were assisted to hold interviews by community members (insiders) who have excellent knowledge of the study area... These entry points were instrumental in helping to facilitate the interviews and made it possible for the residents to have confidence in the researchers to protect their interest."
Takeaway lessons from field observations
My main observations from the field trip are:
- Lagos has several informal settlements because of rapidly increasing rural-urban migration that now makes the state an attractive destination for people who want to relocate and search for greener pastures whether as young graduates/school leavers or as artisans/skilled workers. Unfortunately, many of these migrants are underprepared financially find it hard to secure decent accommodation with needed infrastructure. Residing in the slum appears to be the only option for most of the people found in such neighbourhoods due to higher housing cost in the urban areas.
- Living in an environment that is not adequately maintained can become a threat to healthy living and peacefulness causing sicknesses due to lack of hygiene facilities. Prioritising neighbourhood development needs of slum communities cannot be overemphasised especially in contemporary Nigerian society where informal settlements have increased and seem almost inevitable considering the rising cost of living. Daily challenges of life continue to relegate many people to housing choices they would not have preferred if given the opportunity to choose.
- Women and girls are incredibly resourceful as they engage in food provision for their families, trade and teaching. The men have been active in community self-help initiative including refilling of waterlogged areas for easy mobility and channelling of water into the Lagoon. Most times, the self-help initiatives within these communities have been helpful in making life better but cannot be said to be adequate based on the current environmental and health realities in those areas.
- Daily life in informal settlements is characterised by self-help initiatives. Overcoming neighbourhood health and environmental challenges demand that stakeholders within and outside the neighbourhoods are able to establish community environmental monitoring groups responsible for assessing and following up issues of environmental protection. Prioritising sustainable livelihoods around the slums will make life easier for low income earners and reduce threats with appreciable impact on the entire society.
This neighbourhood research workshop and fieldwork were hosted by the University of Lagos and funded by SHLC’s Capacity Development Acceleration Fund.