CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

          At the commencement of coal mining in Enugu in 1915, Aguowa received many immigrants from where the commute to the city to partake in coal boom as at that time. By and large, the rural settlement experienced rapid population growth and since it was at the outskirt of Enugu central, it was not subjected to building regulations and codes; hence houses constructed of handy materials sprang up all over the settlement. Thus the area was crowded with poor housing structures most disorderly located. The settlement has grown and developed in an unplanned manner resulting in the decline of property values and social status of the estate environment. While the dwellers show no indifference to the poor conditions of the urban environment, the city government agencies responsible for planning and managing the urban environment and regulating urban life displayed a mark of ineffectiveness in the discharge of their duties.

This condition consequently brought a spontaneous development of sub-standard dwelling, devoid of essential amenities, estate roads, drainage, ventilation, recreational facilities, refuse disposal facilities etc. lack of all these eventually both the available infrastructures and building consign obsolescence and subsequently the slum. Due to this burning issue of slum, the researcher is set to evaluate the effect on property values at Aguowa, its states of evaluation in the study area taking note of both its immediate and remote causes. In other to established and the effect of this slum on property values the researches reduces the population of study which is it properties in the two 92) residential neighbourhoods of Aguowa (namely Trans – Ekulu and Federal Housing Estate).