Geospatial Assessment of the Impingement on Electric Overhead Power-line in Akure, Nigeria

Geographic/Geospatial Information System (GIS) can show different kinds of data on one map which enables people to more easily see, analyze, and understand patterns and relationships. This study uses both questionnaire and GIS methods to assess the level of impingement on electric overhead power-line corridor in Akure, Nigeria. The socio-economic characteristics of residents in the study area were captured using a structured questionnaire; the GIS method was adopted to delineate four buffer corridors of 50m, 100m, 150m and 200m in order to identify encroaching buildings on them. The GIS analysis shows that a total number of 1101 buildings were trapped in the power-line corridor. A 20% sample size of 221 buildings was adopted for the questionnaire administration due to homogeneity characterizing the study area. Empirical analysis shows that: majority of respondents are within the age bracket of 26-40; 66.1% married while 3.2% are widowed. Most property owners in the study area got their properties through outright purchase from family land owners while; over 77% of respondents have lived in the corridor for more than 25 years. This paper recommends that all buildings in the corridor should be demolished and compensation paid where applicable; and the corridor be planted with short trees and or grasses under the management of the State Government.