Spatial Patterns of Informal Settlements in Maiduguri Metropolitan Council and Implications for Post-Conflict Reconstruction

The Boko Haram insurgency in North East Nigeria produced widespread displacement, settlement destruction, and unprecedented informal resettlement patterns in and around Maiduguri, the Borno State capital. This study maps the spatial patterns of informal settlements in the Maiduguri Metropolitan Council using Sentinel-2 and WorldView-3 satellite imagery acquired between 2020 and 2024. Object-based image analysis is applied to delineate settlement footprints, and temporal analysis captures the dynamics of spontaneous settlement growth in peri-urban areas designated as Internally Displaced Persons hosting zones. Spatial proximity analysis assesses the adequacy of WASH infrastructure, food distribution points, and school access relative to informal settlement locations. Results reveal the emergence of fifteen distinct informal settlement clusters with a combined estimated population exceeding 200,000 persons, concentrated in the Konduga, Jere, and Gwoza road corridors. Infrastructure access deficits are most pronounced in settlements more than three kilometres from the city core. The study produces spatial data outputs aligned with the Borno State Post-Conflict Recovery and Reconstruction Framework and the UN-Habitat Maiduguri Urban Resilience Plan. Recommendations address land regularisation, serviced plot allocation, and phased infrastructure rollout priorities for identified clusters. Keywords: informal settlements, displacement, Maiduguri, post-conflict reconstruction, satellite imagery.