Resilience of Traditional Mud Architecture Under Current Rainfall Patterns in Kebbi State: An Analytical Study

Traditional earth architecture in Kebbi State represents a sustainable and climatically appropriate built form whose long-term resilience is increasingly tested by changing rainfall patterns, particularly the intensification of short-duration high-intensity rainfall events associated with climate variability. This study analytically assesses the structural and material resilience of traditional mud architecture under current rainfall conditions in Kebbi State, combining material performance testing, field condition surveys, and rainfall data analysis. Compressive strength, moisture absorption, and erosion susceptibility tests were conducted on mud construction samples sourced from five communities in Birnin Kebbi, Argungu, and Jega LGAs, using both raw and stabilised earth formulations with two to four percent Portland cement addition. Twenty-year rainfall intensity data from the Nigerian Meteorological Agency station at Birnin Kebbi were analysed to establish design rainfall parameters for the current period compared to a 1990-2003 baseline. Field surveys of one hundred traditional mud buildings assessed the correlation between structural failure indicators (erosion, cracking, wall collapse) and building age, plinth height, roof overhang depth, maintenance frequency, and stabilisation treatment. Statistical analysis demonstrated that plinth height above 350 mm and roof overhang exceeding 500 mm are the two most significant protective design features, each independently reducing wall surface erosion failure probability by more than forty percent. Portland cement stabilisation at three percent addition significantly improved twenty-four-hour erosion resistance in accelerated rainfall exposure tests. The study argues for a revived application of earth architecture in Kebbi, with updated technical specifications responding to current climate parameters. Keywords: earth architecture, mud construction, climate resilience, Kebbi State, rainfall erosion.