Abstract

This study aims at measuring and appraise the differential access of people in the oil bearing and non-oil bearing sub-regions of Ondo State, Nigeria; to living facilities. Housing, transportation, healthcare, power and potable water are the basic infrastructural facilities selected for the study. Four local government areas (LGAs) constitute the sample frame, while the sample size was taken from fifteen communities in the area. 1.0% of 148,574 population (1485) was sampled, using both purposive and random sampling techniques. Parametric and non-parametric statistics were used in data analysis, tabulation and cross tabulation for infrastructural counts, z-score for infrastructure ranking to determine access to, and satisfaction from infrastructural facilities; while correlation analyses to determine the level of significance. The result revealed that housing was rated highest in both areas, followed by transportation (30.1%), while water supply was rated lowest (7.8%). The z-score revealed that both water supply and power supply, on both sub-regional and general basis had negative values. Health care delivery (0.0313) in the oil producing area but negative value (-0.0313) in the non-oil producing zone and also, negative value (-0.0915) in the general analysis. In the final analysis, the oil producing areas expressed better infrastructural satisfaction compared to the non-oil producing areas. The study concludes that access to, and satisfaction from infrastructure were poor in both sub-regions and therefore recommends that, for the purpose of policy formulation on infrastructure provision, water supply requires highest attention, followed by power supply, healthcare delivery, transportation and housing in that order.

Key Words: Region, differential access, satisfaction, infrastructure.