INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF LATEST TECHNOLOGY IN ENGINEERING,  
MANAGEMENT & APPLIED SCIENCE (IJLTEMAS)  
ISSN 2278-2540 | DOI: 10.51583/IJLTEMAS | Volume XIV, Issue XII, December 2025  
Spatial Distribution of Tourism Infrastructure in Awka, Onitsha and  
Nnewi Urban Areas of Anambra State.  
Okwuenu Chike Michael, Ofem Michael, Dr. Igbokwe Esomchukwu Chinagorom, Prof. Onuwa  
Okwuashi  
University of Delta Agbor, Delta State Nigeria  
DOI : https://doi.org/10.51583/IJLTEMAS.2025.1412000001  
Received: 10 December 2025; Accepted: 15 December 2025; Published: 24 December 2025  
ABSTRACT  
One major contributor to the economic sector in many developing countries is Tourism. In Nigeria however, the  
tourism sector remains relatively underdeveloped. In this study the spatial distribution of tourism infrastructure  
in major cities like Awka, Onitsha and Nnewi of Anambra state were examined with the aim of understanding  
existing patterns and their implication for tourism planning. Various categories of tourism infrastructures such  
as Hotels, Banks, Schools, Eateries etc. was mapped and analyze using Geographic Information System (GIS)  
techniques. In other to determine the spatial distribution of these facilities to know whether they are clustered,  
random or dispersed, Average Nearest Neighbour analysis was employed. The results of this analysis however  
revealed that in these major cities there exists predominantly clustered distribution of these tourism facilities  
with eateries, hotel and leisure being the most dominant. Clustered tourism facilities may however enhance the  
accessibility and convenience for tourists, but on the other hand it limits the activities to limited area. This study  
however encourages the need for strategic tourism planning in the state such that there will be a more balanced  
spatial distribution of tourism infrastructure across the state.  
Keywords: Tourism, GIS, Spatial Distribution, Anambra State.  
INTRODUCTION  
In today’s world Tourism can be seen as a major source of income in many countries. In countries like China,  
Germany and Austria etc. tourism is viewed as an important industry for foreign exchange. Also some African  
countries such as Kenya and Zimbabwe approximately have 80% of tourist visiting their country primarily for  
the sole purpose of wildlife. Needless to say Tourism is now seen as the greener pastures for most developing  
countries. However in Nigeria, tourism is a sector that has not been fully developed and explored.  
(FaladeObalade, T. A., & Dubey, S. 2014).  
Geographical Information System (G.I.S) when integrated with Remote Sensing it’s a very powerful tool which  
can be used to Gather, Process, Organize and Store important parameters on which tourism depends on. (Singh,  
P. 2015). These parameters includes: Location (Where the tourist wishes to go), Accessibility (Road network)  
and the standard of the facilities. In general it can be said that Geographic Information Systems (GIS) is one of  
the most remarkable technological innovations in tourism planning and decision making.  
Both GIS and tourism share a common characteristic, that is, both cross the boundaries of disciplines and  
application areas. This makes the potential applications of GIS in tourism significant. Moreover, maps have been  
known to play vital roles in identifying and locating tourist attractions. GIS however provides the facility to  
extract different sets of information (e.g. tourist attractions, hotels and their distances from one another, roads,  
settlements, vegetation, land use data, changes in tourism resources) from a map and use them as required.  
(Singh, P. 2015).  
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INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF LATEST TECHNOLOGY IN ENGINEERING,  
MANAGEMENT & APPLIED SCIENCE (IJLTEMAS)  
ISSN 2278-2540 | DOI: 10.51583/IJLTEMAS | Volume XIV, Issue XII, December 2025  
SCOPE OF THE RESEARCH  
Specifically, the scope of this research is limited to the locational analysis of tourist facilities in, Awka, Onitsha  
and Nnewi urban areas of Anambra State using GIS.  
Study Area  
Anambra derived its name from Omambala River which is easily called Anambra River. Omambala River is on  
the Northern part of Anambra State and stretches to the famous River Niger. The indigenous ethnic groups in  
Anambra state are the Igbo (98% of population) and a small population of Igala (2% of the population) who live  
in the North western part of the state. (Ayadiuno, R. U., & Ndulue, D. C. 2024).  
Anambra State is geographically located in the South-Eastern Nigeria, and it is bounded by Delta State to the  
West, Imo State to the South, Enugu State to the East and Kogi to the North. It is located between Latitude 5°  
41.293'N and Latitude 6° 46.327'N, and Longitude 6° 37.014'E and Longitude 7° 21.608'E (Fig. 1). It has one  
of the highest population’s densities in Africa. The State comprises numerous thickly populated villages, a  
number of small towns and a few major towns; some areas are so thickly populated that the estimated density is  
1500-2000 persons living within every square kilometer. (Igbokwe, J. I., Okwuenu, C. M., & Igbokwe, E. C.  
2023).  
Anambra State has a tropical climate marked by two distinct seasons, the dry and rainy season. The dry season  
occurs from November to April and rainy season from May to October. There exists a brief dry spell in August  
commonly referred to as August break; the dry harmattan wind blows over the state. It maintains an average  
tropical temperature of 25 °C during the dry season and an average fertile rainfall of 2,700 millimetres (106 in)  
during the rainy season. Anambra State is home to the longest river in Nigeria which is the River Niger. About  
35% of the State's total land mass consists of water. The State also boasts of a tropical Savanna climate with  
average annual rainfall estimated at 2,700 millimetres. The average temperature of Anambra State is 25 degrees  
centigrade with topography prone to gully erosions but comprising of arable farmlands for agricultural activities.  
(Igbokwe, J. I., Okwuenu, C. M., & Igbokwe, E. C. 2023).  
Figure 1: Map of Anambra State  
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INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF LATEST TECHNOLOGY IN ENGINEERING,  
MANAGEMENT & APPLIED SCIENCE (IJLTEMAS)  
ISSN 2278-2540 | DOI: 10.51583/IJLTEMAS | Volume XIV, Issue XII, December 2025  
Maps of The Three Major Cities in Anambra State  
Fig 2a: Map of Awka Urban Area  
Fig 2b: Map of Onitsha Urban Area  
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INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF LATEST TECHNOLOGY IN ENGINEERING,  
MANAGEMENT & APPLIED SCIENCE (IJLTEMAS)  
ISSN 2278-2540 | DOI: 10.51583/IJLTEMAS | Volume XIV, Issue XII, December 2025  
Fig 2c: Map of Nnewi Urban Area  
METHODOLOGY  
In this paper Average Nearest Neighborhood analysis was used in calculating the spatial distribution of tourism  
infrastructure in Awka, Onitsha and Nnewi in Anambra State. Distances between various features centroid  
location and its nearest neighbor were being measured, thereafter these distance are averaged. If the averaged  
distance is less than the average for a hypothetical random distribution, the distribution of the features being  
analyzed is considered clustered. If the averaged distance is greater than a hypothetical random distribution, the  
features considered dispersed. The ratio of this measured distance is computed by dividing the observed average  
by the expected average distance (with expected average distance being based on a hypothetical random  
distribution with the same number of features covering the same total area).  
Mapping of Tourism Infrastructure in Awka, Onitsha and Nnewi Urban Areas of Anambra State.  
Figure 3: Showing Tourism Infrastructure within the Study Area.  
In Anambra urban areas tourism infrastructure are classified into Banks, Leisure, Schools, Churches and Eateries  
etc. However in Awka Leisure centers, Eateries, Banks and Schools have the highest coverage of 50% and above  
which is closely followed by Churches and Hotels of about 40% and above. Hospitals, Markets and Salons are  
below 40%.  
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INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF LATEST TECHNOLOGY IN ENGINEERING,  
MANAGEMENT & APPLIED SCIENCE (IJLTEMAS)  
ISSN 2278-2540 | DOI: 10.51583/IJLTEMAS | Volume XIV, Issue XII, December 2025  
In Onitsha the result shows that the number of Banks in the area has coverage of above 50%, while Eateries,  
Hotels and Leisure are with a coverage of 40% and above with Churches and Hospitals having the least coverage.  
Similarly in Nnewi it can be seen that Hotels and Leisure centers are of higher coverage of about 50.00%  
followed carefully by Schools, Eateries and Hospitals which has coverage of 30.0% to 40%.  
Also from figure 3 above, it can be observed that Leisure, Hotels and Eateries are the most dominant category  
of tourism infrastructure in Awka, Onitsha and Nnewi Urban Areas of Anambra which indicates that the city  
caters well to the needs of tourists looking for recreational activities. Schools centers also have a significant  
presence in these cities, indicating that these urban areas are well-suited for both leisure and educational tourism.  
Spatial Distribution of Hotels in Awka  
The result of the analysis indicates that the spatial distribution of Hotels in Awka, Anambra State is random. The  
observed mean distance is 343.17m while the expected mean distance is 379.17m. The nearest neighbour ratio  
of 0.905047 further supports this conclusion, as a value closer to 1 indicates a more dispersed (Random)  
distribution and a value closer to 0 indicates a more clustered distribution.  
Figure 4: Result of Average Neighbor Analysis for the Spatial Distribution of Hotels in Awka  
Spatial Distribution of Banks in Awka: The results of the analysis indicate that the spatial distribution of  
Banks in Awka is clustered. The observed mean distance of 161.12m is lower than the expected mean distance  
of 301.64m, which is consistent with a clustered pattern. The nearest neighbour ratio of 0.534151 further supports  
this conclusion, as a value closer to 1 indicates a more dispersed distribution and a value closer to 0 indicates a  
more clustered distribution. The p-value and z-score of 0.00019 and -4.274054 respectively, provide a statistical  
assessment of the significance of the observed clustering pattern. The p-value is a measure of the probability that  
the observed clustering pattern could be the result of random chance, and a p-value of 0.00019 indicates that the  
probability is extremely low. The z-score measures the number of standard deviations away from the mean. A  
negative z-score indicates that the observed mean is less than the expected mean, which is consistent with a  
clustered pattern.  
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INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF LATEST TECHNOLOGY IN ENGINEERING,  
MANAGEMENT & APPLIED SCIENCE (IJLTEMAS)  
ISSN 2278-2540 | DOI: 10.51583/IJLTEMAS | Volume XIV, Issue XII, December 2025  
Figure 5: Result of Average Neighbor Analysis for the Spatial Distribution of Banks in Awka  
Spatial Distribution of Tourism Infrastructure in Onitsha Urban Areas of Anambra State: The results of  
the analysis indicate that the spatial distribution of Tourism Infrastructure in Onitsha is clustered. The observed  
mean distance of 224.63m is lower than the expected mean distance of 345.24m, which is consistent with a  
clustered pattern. The nearest neighbour ratio of 0.650656 further supports this conclusion, as a value closer to  
1 indicates a more dispersed distribution and a value closer to 0 indicates a more clustered distribution. The p-  
value and z-score of 0.00077 and -3.953830 respectively, provide a statistical assessment of the significance of  
the observed clustering pattern. The p-value is a measure of the probability that the observed clustering pattern  
could be the result of random chance, and a p-value of 0.00077 indicates that the probability is extremely low.  
The z-score measures the number of standard deviations away from the mean. A negative z-score indicates that  
the observed mean is less than the expected mean, which is consistent with a clustered pattern. Given the p-value  
of 0.00077 at a confidence level of 99%, it can be concluded that there is less than 1% likelihood that this  
clustered pattern of Tourism Infrastructure in Onitsha could be the result of random chance.  
Figure 6: Result of Average Nearest Neighbor Analysis for tourism Infrastructure in Onitsha Urban Area of  
Anambra State.  
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INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF LATEST TECHNOLOGY IN ENGINEERING,  
MANAGEMENT & APPLIED SCIENCE (IJLTEMAS)  
ISSN 2278-2540 | DOI: 10.51583/IJLTEMAS | Volume XIV, Issue XII, December 2025  
Spatial Distribution of Tourism Infrastructure in Nnewi Urban Areas of Anambra State.  
The results of the analysis indicate that the spatial distribution of Tourism Infrastructure in Nnewi is clustered.  
The observed mean distance of 176.18m and the expected mean distance is 235.79m, which is consistent with a  
clustered pattern. The nearest neighbour ratio of 0.747196 further supports this conclusion, as a value closer to  
1 indicates a more dispersed distribution and a value closer to 0 indicates a more clustered distribution. The p-  
value and z-score of 0.008074 and -2.648956 respectively, provide a statistical assessment of the significance of  
the observed clustering pattern. The p-value is a measure of the probability that the observed clustering pattern  
could be the result of random chance, and a p-value of 0.008074 indicates that the probability is extremely low.  
The z-score measures the number of standard deviations away from the mean. A negative z-score indicates that  
the observed mean is less than the expected mean, which is consistent with a clustered pattern. Given the p-value  
of 0.008074 at a confidence level of 99%, it can be concluded that there is a less than 1% likelihood that this  
clustered pattern of Tourism Infrastructure in Nnewi could be the result of random chance.  
Figure 7: Result of Average Nearest Neighbor Analysis for tourism Infrastructure in Nnewi Urban Area of  
Anambra State.  
SUMMARY OF FINDINGS  
In conclusion, it can be observed from the analysis carried out that in major cities of Anambra State tourism  
infrastructure are observed to be clustered. This simply means that tourist sites such as leisure, Hotels, Eateries  
are mostly located close to each other. Although this could be of great benefit to the tourist as this will  
comfortable allow them (Tourist) to easily move from one spot to another. On the other hand however it can be  
viewed as a limitation to the tourist and the state such that to the tourist he is only limited to or confined to only  
certain areas or location in the state where these facilities are available limiting his ability to fully explore the  
whole state.  
REFERENCES  
1. Ayadiuno, R. U., & Ndulue, D. C. (2024). Hydrogeomorphological analysis of Niger River Sub-basins  
for flood prediction in Anambra State, Nigeria. Arabian Journal of Geosciences, 17(12), 318.  
2. Falade Obalade, T. A., & Dubey, S. (2014). Managing Tourism as a source of Revenue and Foreign  
direct investment inflow in a developing Country: The Jordanian Experience. International Journal of  
Academic Reserach in Economics and Management Sciences, 3(3).  
3. Igbokwe, J. I., Okwuenu, C. M., & Igbokwe, E. C. (2023). Development of a GIS based tourism  
infrastructure in Awka, Onitsha and Nnewi urban areas of Anambra state Nigeria.  
4. Singh, P. (2015). Role of geographical information systems in tourism decision making process: a  
review. Information Technology & Tourism, 15(2), 131-179.  
www.ijltemas.in  
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