UNDERSTANDING THE PLANNING AND SETTLEMENT PATTERNS IN SELECTED IJAW MIGRANT FISHER FOLKS CAMPS

Migration is a common socio-economic activity in the lifestyle of artisanal fisher folks of the Ijaw ethnic extraction of Nigeria. The Ijaws are one of 10 prominent migrant fishing tribes in the West African sub-region and the fourth largest ethnic group in Nigeria. They migrate to different locations along the inshore rivers and coastline of Nigeria and republic of Cameroons. The goal of the study is to ascertain the planning and settlement patterns in migrant fisher folks base camps in select areas of Bayelsa State, Nigeria and Bakassi in the Republic of Cameroon. The objectives of the study are to: establish the reason for the setting up of fisher folk base camps in the selected locations; examine the nature and types of the existing fisher folk base camps; identify the factors that influence the migration of fisher folks; and assess the effects of the migration pattern on the fisher folk base camp growth pattern. The study employed the multi-staged sampling strategy by listing seventy-four (74) fisher folk camps along the shoreline of Bayelsa State, Nigeria and Bakassi in the Republic of Cameroon. Eight (8) fisher folks camps were purposively selected to form the sample frame. Sample size of 150 was based on stratified sampling technique to select the respondents drawn from headmen, deputy headmen and heads of households in the camps. The study found out that buying and selling of fish and proximity to kin are some of the reasons of establishing the camps. Dwellings are single and multi-home steads. Inclusive planning of these fisher folk camps, provision of social infrastructures and proper settlement planning were recommended for both Nigeria and Cameroon.