Study of Abandoned Properties and Their Urban Management Implications in Calabar, Cross River State

This study examines the incidence, causes, and urban management implications of abandoned properties in Calabar, Cross River State, South South Nigeria. Property abandonment creates neighbourhood blight, security hazards, reduced surrounding property values, and lost revenue potential in urban areas, and its systematic study in Nigerian cities is important for designing effective policy responses. The study employs a descriptive survey design, supplemented by physical inventory mapping. A walkover survey of four residential and mixed-use neighbourhoods in Calabar Municipal and Calabar South Local Government Areas identified and geo-referenced all abandoned properties, defined as structures unoccupied and unmaintained for a minimum of three years. Structured interviews were conducted with 20 estate surveyors, 15 Cross River State Ministry of Urban Renewal officers, and 30 adjacent property owners. The identified abandoned properties were categorised by duration of abandonment, structural condition, and primary cause of abandonment as reported by local informants. Findings show that ownership disputes and probate litigation are the most frequently cited causes of abandonment, accounting for 47 percent of identified cases. Financial inability to complete or repair buildings accounts for 28 percent. Government acquisition without utilisation explains 15 percent of cases. The study identifies 68 abandoned properties across the surveyed area, concentrated in older inner-city neighbourhoods. Recommendations include implementing a compulsory purchase power for long-abandoned properties, establishing an abandoned property register managed by the state Urban Renewal Agency, and offering tax relief incentives to owners who bring properties back into productive use within a defined period. Keywords: abandoned properties, urban management, Calabar, neighbourhood blight, property policy.