Assessment of the Impact of Road Infrastructure on Residential Property Prices in Abuja’s Satellite Towns

This study assesses how improvements in road infrastructure have affected residential property prices in Abuja's satellite towns, with specific focus on Lugbe and Dutse areas following recent road construction and surfacing activities by the FCT Administration. Road infrastructure is widely recognised as a primary value determinant for residential property, and its provision in previously underserved urban areas creates measurable price effects that are important for investment analysis and public expenditure justification. The study employs the hedonic pricing methodology, collecting transaction data and property characteristics for 120 residential properties in road-improved zones and 80 properties in comparable zones without recent road improvements, covering the period 24 months before and 24 months after road completion. Data were sourced from estate surveyors' transaction records and corroborated through direct buyer and seller interviews. Regression analysis isolates the value contribution of road quality after controlling for property size, age, and neighbourhood amenities. Findings confirm a statistically significant positive effect of road improvement on property values, with improved road access associated with a mean value increase of 22 percent in Lugbe and 18 percent in Dutse relative to the pre-improvement period. The effect is stronger for properties within 500 metres of directly improved road sections. Time-adjusted analysis shows that prices began rising six months before road completion, suggesting anticipatory market behaviour. The study recommends that FCTA adopt value capture instruments to recover a portion of infrastructure-induced value gains from property owners. Keywords: road infrastructure, property prices, hedonic pricing, Abuja, value capture.