Assessing the performance of sustainability in Ibadan peri-urban areas, Nigeria

This study assessed the performance of sustainability indicators in peri-urban areas of Ibadan. The importance (i.e., residents' expectations) of each of the sustainability indicators was first examined, and then the corresponding performance of each was assessed, using a subjective assessment approach. The approach utilized the Importance-Performance Analysis (IPA) model for the assessment. A cross-sectional survey research design was employed, with 452 structured questionnaires retrieved from households across 12 residential neighborhoods in the four sampled local government areas of Ibadan peri-urban. The Paired t-test analysis indicated a significant difference (p-value = 0.000) between the importance and performance scale, suggesting that sustainability indicators have not performed satisfactorily as anticipated. Furthermore, the IPA model reveals that underperformance is most prominent among certain social, economic, and environmental sustainability indicators. The sustainability indicators that were deemed important but underperformed are suggested as areas where policy intervention may be necessary to advance peri-urban sustainability. In contrast, the indicators that were important and performed equally well are recommended to be sustained.