Appraising Landscaping in Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, Uli Campus, Anambra State, Nigeria

Abstract

Amid the growing benefits for proper landscaping design and planning, there is the need for man to be in a decent, well-organised and aesthetically pleasing environment. This could add value to concentration of staff and students in the campus as well as provide relaxation points within the campus. The landscaping quality of Uli campus of Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University deserves attention in view of its state. The objectives of this paper are to appraise the quality of the present status of landscaping in the campus and assess the perception of people on the quality of present landscape in the campus environment. This is with a view to providing a feedback for improved landscape management of the University campus environment. The methodology adopted for this research was survey design. The focus was on academic staff of the Faculty of Environmental Science of the university randomly selected from the research population. This selection was premised on their assumed knowledge of the subject matter. Data was collected from primary sources using questionnaires and observation schedules. Data analysis was done at the univariate level using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). The outcomes show that the landscape environment within the campus is not in a good state. Some contributing factors to this were attributed to inadequate maintenance operations, inadequate provision of funds and inadequate equipment for maintenance operations, among others. The study recommends involving professionals in the built environment in the physical planning unit and works department of the institution to handle landscaping concerns within the campus, provision of enough funds for landscape improvement and maintenance operations, incorporating man-made features such as trash cans, street lights, sculpture, defined pedestrian walkways, paving and other road furnishings incorporated into the landscape. The university management may revive an existing landscape committee that would liaise with the horticulture unit of the faculty of Agriculture and have adequate as well as regular supply of new plants for possible replacement of dead plants and/or planting of new ones where they are desired. A redesign of the general landscape of the campus is desirable.