Acoustic Ecology and Soundscape Studies in Nigerian Urban Environments: A Case Study of Lagos, Kano, and Enugu

This research applies acoustic ecology and soundscape studies methodologies to the analysis of urban sound environments in three Nigerian cities representing different geopolitical, cultural, and demographic contexts: Lagos in South West, Kano in North West, and Enugu in South East Nigeria. The urban soundscape, understood as the total acoustic environment experienced by city inhabitants, reflects cultural values, economic activities, social organisation, and environmental conditions. This study investigates the characteristic soundscape features of selected neighbourhoods in each city, examining the role of music, religious sound practice, market acoustics, and transportation noise in producing distinctive urban sonic identities. Binaural sound recordings are collected across day-time and night-time periods in 12 sites per city. Acoustic analysis using psychoacoustic metrics including LAeq, N50, and Zwicker loudness is combined with qualitative soundwalk methodologies and resident sonic perception interviews with 30 participants per city. The study integrates R. Murray Schafer's soundscape theory, recent urban acoustic ecology literature, and African urbanism scholarship. Cross-city comparative analysis identifies universal and culturally specific soundscape features of Nigerian urban environments. Findings will constitute the first systematic soundscape study of major Nigerian cities and contribute to urban planning, acoustic design, and cultural geography scholarship. Keywords: Acoustic ecology, soundscape, Nigerian cities, urban sound, comparative study.