Assessment of Urbanisation, Population Size, and Access to Healthcare Facilities in Yobe State, Nigeria

Hussaini Ibn Mohammed; PhD; Corresponding Author

doi:10.56201/jhsp.vol.12.no7.2026.pg1.18

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Assessment of Urbanisation, Population Size, and Access to Healthcare Facilities in Yobe State, Nigeria

Hussaini Ibn Mohammed, PhD, Corresponding Author

Abstract

This study provides a comprehensive assessment of the interrelationship among urbanisation, population size, and access to healthcare facilities in Yobe State, Nigeria. Anchored on the Social Determinants of Health Framework and the Urban Health Advantage and Disadvantage Model, the study employed a cross-sectional mixed-methods design, combining a structured survey of 360 adults drawn from four local government areas, supplemented by qualitative interviews with 40 purposively selected participants and secondary data from the National Population Commission and Yobe State Ministry of Health. Findings reveal that urbanisation is significantly associated with improved proximity to healthcare facilities, yet urban-rural disparities remain pronounced. While urban residents in Damaturu and Potiskum report greater physical access to primary healthcare centres, secondary and tertiary-level facilities are concentrated in the state capital, leaving peripheral urban and rural populations underserved. Population growth, driven by natural increase and rural-to-urban migration, has exerted pressure on existing healthcare infrastructure, reducing per capita availability of healthcare workers and beds. Qualitative data reveal persistent structural barriers including cost, distance, inadequate staffing, and cultural factors that limit effective utilisation of available services. All null hypotheses were rejected at p < 0.001. The study concludes that urbanisation in Yobe State has produced uneven gains in healthcare access, with spatial inequity remaining a fundamental challenge. Recommendations include targeted investment in rural and peri-urban health infrastructure, deployment of mobile health units, community health worker programs, and integration of population data into healthcare planning. Future longitudinal research is needed to establish causal pathways between urbanisation dynamics and health outcomes.

Keywords

UrbanisationPopulation GrowthHealthcare AccessYobe StateNigeriaRural- Urban DisparityPrimary HealthcareSocial Determinants of Health

References

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Assessment of Urbanisation, Population Size, and Access to Healthcare Facilities in Yobe State, Nigeria

Abstract

Keywords

References

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