AN ANALYSIS OF THE GROWTH OF ROAD CONNECTIVITY IN KADUNA STATE

Abstract

Network is the interconnectivity, or linkage of a set of components of a system into a complete whole to produce a spatial and structured pattern.  A network may be either a static feature at a point in time or a dynamic phenomenon, it grows with time or as such, it is subjected to change through time. In the course of making the nodes and linkages easily identifiable, a network is transformed into a topological graph. This is a representation of the geometry of a network showing the relationship between nodes and linkages without considering the scale of the map and morphology of the actual route. The nodes refer to the settlements while the edge refers to the roads. This study attempts to determine the degree of road network connectivity over three time periods and how such growth has led to an improvement in the economy of the people of Kaduna State. To determine the  degree of road network connectivity in the study area, the road network structures were converted into topological graphs. From the graphs, the following three graphic theoretic indices (alpha, beta and gamma ) were measured. Twenty-five (25) main settlements in Kaduna State were used as nodes on the topological map. The indices of the three periods were then pooled together to show the trend in the growth in road connectivity in the state. The study revealed  that the calculated values of  alpha increased from 17.8% to 51% , beta from 1.36 to 1.96 and gamma from 49% to 71% between 1957 and 2009. While the number of nodes on the road network in the state remains constant at 25, the number of roads, increased from 34 in 1957 – 1989 period, to 49 in the 1999 - 2009 period. The study has been able to determine that road connectivity indices increased over the three time periods. This is an indication that there has been an increase in road network from one period to another, and that the economic activities of the people of Kaduna State has improved thereby.

Keywords: Network, Growth, Interconnectivity, Topological Graph, Nodes, Economy