Measurement of Accessibility to Job Locations in the Socially Excluded Areas of Calabar Metropolis, South-South Nigeria

Abstract

This paper examined the level of access to urban jobs by the socially excluded poor neighbourhoods of 
Anantigha and Nyangasang with a view to addressing the job-residence balance in Calabar. It 
estimated the number of accessible jobs by commute distances and number of daily trips. A 
questionnaire and travel diary survey was used to obtain primary data from residents using the stratified 
sampling technique. The data was analysed using kernel density estimation (KDE) which adopts a non
parametric approach in estimating probability density function of random variables, in this case the 
number of jobs located per 1000m2. The study observed that the average commute distance to low
paying neighbourhood jobs is 2km. Furthermore, the location of low paying informal jobs is determined 
largely by accessibility options in the city. However, the reality of this available transport options and 
indeed the land use pattern does not favour the low-income group and thus become a constraint to 
their access to jobs. The unavailability of population data in GIS format at enumeration resolution, in the 
study area, remains a challenge for future urban studies of this nature. The location of employment for 
the socially excluded communities can become a factor in the planning of public transportation that is 
reliable, safe and accessible to these urban residents.