Towns and Settlements in Nigeria – Basic 3 History Lesson Note (Third Term)

What We Will Learn Today

• Different types of places where people live in Nigeria
• What makes a compound, community, village, and city different
• How people live in each type of settlement
• Examples of each type in Nigeria

Types of Settlements

1. COMPOUND

What is a Compound?

• A group of houses where one extended family lives
• Usually has one main entrance
• Houses are built around a central area (courtyard)
• Grandparents, parents, children, uncles, aunts all live together

What You Find in a Compound:

• Several houses for different family members
• Shared courtyard where people meet and children play
• Common kitchen or cooking area
• Storage areas for food and belongings
• Family shrine or meeting place

Examples:

• Yoruba compounds in Ibadan, Abeokuta
• Igbo compounds in Enugu, Owerri
• Hausa compounds in Kano, Kaduna

2. COMMUNITY

What is a Community?

• Several compounds living close together
• People know each other and work together
• Has a community leader (like a chief or elder)
• People help each other and share things

What You Find in a Community:

• Many family compounds
• Community meeting place (village square or hall)
• Small shops and local markets
• Primary school or learning center
• Health center or traditional healer
• Place of worship (church, mosque, or shrine)

Examples:

• Igbo communities with village squares
• Yoruba communities with palace of Oba
• Hausa communities with emirate system

3. VILLAGE

What is a Village?

• Many communities living together in one area
• Has more people than a community
• Has a village head or traditional ruler
• People mostly do farming, fishing, or crafts

What You Find in a Village:

• Primary and secondary schools
• Health center with nurses
• Market days (usually once or twice a week)
• Post office or communication center
• Local government office
• Banks or cooperative societies
• Good roads connecting to other places

Examples:

• Farming villages in Middle Belt (Benue, Plateau)
• Fishing villages along rivers and coasts
• Trading villages along major roads

4. CITY

What is a City?

• Very many people living together (hundreds of thousands or millions)
• Has tall buildings and busy streets
• People do many different jobs
• Has modern facilities and services

What You Find in a City:

• Universities and many schools
• Big hospitals with specialist doctors
• Shopping malls and big markets
• Banks and business offices
• Airports and major transportation
• Industries and factories
• Government offices
• Television and radio stations

Examples in Nigeria:

• Lagos – biggest city (over 15 million people)
• Kano – major northern city
• Ibadan – large Yoruba city
• Port Harcourt – oil city
• Abuja – capital city

Differences Between Settlements

Size and Population:

• Compound: Smallest (one family)
• Community: Small (few families)
• Village: Medium (many families)
• City: Largest (millions of people)

Facilities:

• Compound: Basic family needs
• Community: School, health center, small shops
• Village: Schools, market, local government
• City: Universities, hospitals, industries, airports

Jobs People Do:

• Compound/Community: Mostly farming and traditional crafts
• Village: Farming, small trading, local services
• City: Many different jobs (banking, teaching, engineering, etc.)

Transportation:

• Compound/Community: Walking, bicycles, motorcycles
• Village: Buses, cars, motorcycles
• City: Cars, buses, trains, airplanes

How Settlements Grow

Growth Pattern:

1. Compound → 2. Community → 3. Village → 4. City

Why They Grow:

• More families move to the area
• Better facilities attract more people
• Good location for trade and business
• Government builds roads and services
• Industries provide jobs

Examples of Growth:

• Lagos started as fishing villages, became biggest city
• Abuja was built as new capital city
• Port Harcourt grew because of oil discovery

Life in Different Settlements

Compound Life:

• Everyone knows each other very well
• Shared responsibilities and resources
• Traditional customs are strong
• Peaceful and quiet environment

Community Life:

• People help each other during farming or building
• Traditional festivals bring everyone together
• Simple but comfortable living
• Close to nature

Village Life:

• More opportunities for education and health
• Local markets and small businesses
• Mix of traditional and modern ways
• Good for agriculture and small industries

City Life:

• Many job opportunities and good schools
• Modern facilities like electricity and water
• Fast-paced and busy lifestyle
• People from different places living together

What We Learned

• Nigeria has four main types of settlements: compound, community, village, and city
• Each type has different sizes, facilities, and ways of life
• Settlements can grow from small compounds to big cities
• People in different settlements do different types of work
• Each type of settlement has advantages for the people who live there

EXERCISES

1. Fill in the blanks:

1. A __________ is where one extended family lives together.
2. A __________ has several compounds living close together.
3. A __________ has many communities and a village head.
4. A __________ has millions of people and tall buildings.

1. Put in order from smallest to largest:

City, Village, Compound, Community

Smallest: __________ → __________ → __________ → __________: Largest

1. True or False:

1. A compound has only one family living in it. ( )
2. Villages are bigger than cities. ( )
3. Lagos is an example of a city in Nigeria. ( )
4. Communities have traditional rulers. ( )

1. Match the settlement with what you find there:

1. Compound → Universities and airports
2. Community → One extended family
3. Village → Small shops and primary school
4. City → Market days and local government

1. Choose the correct answer:

1. The biggest city in Nigeria is (Kano / Lagos / Abuja).
2. A compound usually has (one / many / no) families.
3. Villages are good for (banking / farming / flying).
4. Cities have (few / some / many) different types of jobs.

1. Answer these questions:

1. What is the difference between a compound and a community?
2. Name two things you can find in a village.
3. Why do people move from villages to cities?
4. Give one example each of a Nigerian village and city.