Assessment of the Quality of Tourism Infrastructure and Its Effect on Visitor Satisfaction in Kaduna State, North West Nigeria

This study assesses the quality of tourism infrastructure in Kaduna State, North West Nigeria, and evaluates its effect on visitor satisfaction at key destinations including Kaduna City heritage sites, Kamuku National Park, and the Kaduna crafts village. Infrastructure quality is a foundational determinant of destination competitiveness, yet systematic assessments of this dimension across the North West zone are limited in the literature. A mixed-method research design is adopted with structured questionnaires administered to 160 domestic tourists and interviews conducted with Kaduna State Tourism Board officials and site managers. Infrastructure dimensions assessed include road access to tourist sites, accommodation capacity and quality, information provision and signage, security, and sanitation at major attractions. Findings reveal that road access to rural attractions is the most negatively rated dimension, cited by 71 percent of respondents as inadequate. Accommodation quality in Kaduna City is rated moderately, while heritage site interpretation is rated as poor by 64 percent. Visitor satisfaction is found to be positively and significantly associated with infrastructure quality overall. The study recommends a prioritised infrastructure investment plan for Kaduna's major tourism corridors, improved heritage site interpretation through official guides and multilingual signage, and a structured annual tourism infrastructure audit by the state government. Public-private partnership frameworks for infrastructure financing are also proposed. Keywords: tourism infrastructure, visitor satisfaction, Kaduna State, destination management, heritage tourism