Employing Post-Classification Comparison to Detect Land Use/Cover Change Patterns and Quantify Conversions in Abakaliki LGA, Ebonyi State, Nigeria Between 2000 - 2022

Abstract

Abstract Rapid urbanization is restructuring landscapes across sub-Saharan Africa. This study employed post-classification comparison of multi-temporal Landsat imagery to characterize land cover changes in Abakaliki Local Government Area, Ebonyi State, Nigeria between 2000 and 2022, addressing the need for empirical baselines to guide sustainable planning. Four classes were considered and images classified with > 85% accuracy. Notably, over 21,000 hectares of vegetation were lost, while built-up and bare land increased by over 7,500 and 13,700 hectares respectively. Spatial patterns revealed urban encroachment into agricultural and forested lands. This establishes the first standardized quantification of Abakaliki LGA’s shifting landscape, with results supporting compact development models while conserving ecological services under ongoing transformations. Continued monitoring employing complementary socioeconomic data presents opportunities to more robustly optimize land management across sub-Saharan Africa's urbanizing regions. The study makes a significant contribution by establishing an empirical baseline characterizing Nigeria's urbanization trajectory essential for evidence-based stewardship of regional resources and livelihoods in a period of accelerating change.