Mapping of Land Use and Land Cover Change and Its Trends in Makurdi, Benue State, Nigeria

This study employed geospatial techniques to capture the process of land conversion taking place. The objectives include mapping the land use types. The methodology involved geospatial techniques which used remote sensing and GIS techniques to identify the past and current condition of land use change occasioned development activities in the Makurdi Metropolis for 1999, 2009 and 2019. The result shows that overall, there was progressive and increasing change in a built-up area and water body categories, at (17.00%) and (1.73%) respectively during the period of study. However, vegetation cover, farmland, bare land and wetland decreased by (2.51%), (3.51%), (4.61%) and (8.08%) respectively. Residential buildings are fast encroaching on the flood plain of River Benue in Makurdi. There is a need to sensitize the residents on the danger of flooding and provisions should be made to relocate those already occupying the location.