The Geography of Non-Work Travels in a Secondary African City: Analyzing Journeys for Shopping, Recreation, and Healthcare in Zaria Metropolis, Kaduna State, Nigeria
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47514/kjg.2026.08.01.026Abstract
Non-work travel is an underexplored area of African urban transport research, even though it plays a vital role in the quality of life and the availability of essential services. This paper focused on the spatial arrangements and determinants of travel for shopping, recreation, and healthcare in the Zaria Metropolis. The study assesses the major intra-urban disparities in travel behaviour using a mixed-method approach by combining household surveys (n=384) in the urban zones of Zaria metropolis, including Samaru, Sabon Gari, Tudun Wada, and Zaria Walled City, along with spatial analysis of their road network connectivity using graph-theoretical indices (Alpha, Beta, Gamma). The results show that healthcare trips have the highest travel distances and costs, with 53% of the sample covering 5-10 kilometres and 52.4% paying N500-N700 per trip, whereas shopping trips are mostly short (65-88.5% less than 5 kilometres) but have unexpected cost differences, with 51.3% of the residents of Sabon Gari spending more than N1,000 despite the short travel. Recreational travel reflects patterns of a specific zone, with Samaru at 69% per week and Zaria Walled City at 42.2% per month. Taba and Likoro show higher network connectivity (Gamma = 0.6), while Kerawa exhibits marked weakness (Alpha = 0.0, Beta = 1.1, Gamma = 0.4), with several wards displaying reduced Alpha (0.1) and Beta (≤1.3), reflecting lower network redundancy. The strongest predictors of travel behaviour, according to multiple regression, are travel cost (b=0.390) and mode (b=0.323) (p<0.001). This paper finds that economic constraints, infrastructural gaps, and spatial inequalities are major determinants of non-work mobility and, as such, have implications for sustainable urban planning in Africa's secondary cities.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Abubakar Aminu Abdullahi, Abdulkadir Muhammad Dambazau, Ado Abdu Gaya, Bello Umar Musa, Sani Isah (Author)
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