Quantification of Urban Sprawl in Akure Metropolis Using Multi-Temporal Satellite Imagery

Urban sprawl in medium-sized Nigerian cities is generating expanding pressure on agricultural land, green spaces, and infrastructure networks while outpacing statutory planning controls. This study quantifies the pattern and rate of urban sprawl in Akure, the Ondo State capital, between 2010 and 2024 using multi-temporal Landsat 8 and Sentinel-2 satellite imagery. Built-up area extent is extracted through supervised image classification for four time epochs, and sprawl metrics including Shannon entropy, compactness index, and expansion rate are computed to characterise the nature and intensity of growth. Spatial analysis of growth direction and the relationship between sprawl patterns and road network extension is undertaken in ArcGIS. Results indicate that Akure's built-up area has tripled over the fourteen-year study period, expanding most rapidly along the Owo, Ikere-Ekiti, and Ado-Ekiti road corridors. Shannon entropy values confirm a progressively fragmented, dispersed growth pattern characteristic of unplanned sprawl. Agricultural and vegetated land accounts for over eighty percent of converted areas. The study identifies a temporal lag between road extension events and subsequent built-up area expansion in adjacent zones, suggesting infrastructure-induced growth dynamics. Outputs are provided to the Ondo State Urban and Regional Planning Board to support densification policies and urban growth boundary establishment. Keywords: urban sprawl, Shannon entropy, remote sensing, Akure, land use change.