Analysis of Road Network Accessibility in Rural Communities of Benue State Using GIS

Road network accessibility is a fundamental determinant of socioeconomic development, healthcare delivery, and food security in rural Nigeria. This study analyses road network accessibility in selected rural communities of Benue State, located within the North Central geopolitical zone, using Geographic Information Systems network analysis tools. Spatial data on existing road infrastructure, community locations, and health facility positions are obtained from the Benue State Geographic Information Systems Agency and supplemented by GPS field surveys. Service area analysis and shortest path computations are performed in ArcGIS to determine travel time and distance from communities to the nearest secondary health facilities. The Accessibility Index is computed for each community, and spatial clustering of low-accessibility zones is examined using Global Moran's I statistics. Results reveal that over forty percent of rural communities in the study area are situated more than twenty kilometres by road from any secondary health facility, with communities in the Ushongo and Konshisha Local Government Areas being the most isolated. Seasonal road impassability during the rainy season further compounds accessibility deficits. The study proposes a priority ranking of road improvement interventions based on the spatial distribution of vulnerable populations, including pregnant women and children under five. Outputs are intended to inform the Benue State Ministry of Works and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture's rural infrastructure programmes. Keywords: road accessibility, network analysis, GIS, Benue State, rural development.