Chapter One — 1.1 Background to the Study

Land Use Change has increasingly attracted the attention of researchers, regulators, and practitioners concerned with land surface temperature. This growing interest reflects the recognition that land use change does not operate in isolation, but interacts with a wider set of institutional and market conditions found within Selected Public Universities in Nigeria.

Selected Public Universities in Nigeria presents a useful setting for examining this relationship precisely because the conditions there — structural, regulatory, and behavioural — differ from those typically assumed in the broader literature, most of which draws on evidence from more developed economies.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

While land use change is widely discussed in policy and industry circles, empirical evidence on its actual effect on land surface temperature within Selected Public Universities in Nigeria remains sparse and, in places, contradictory. This lack of localized, rigorous evidence makes it difficult for decision-makers to know with confidence whether current approaches to land use change are helping or hindering land surface temperature — a gap this study sets out to close.

1.3 Objectives of the Study

1. To examine the effect of Land Use Change on land surface temperature in Selected Public Universities in Nigeria.
2. To assess the extent to which land use change influences land surface temperature within the study area.
3. To identify the challenges associated with land use change in relation to land surface temperature.
4. To recommend strategies for optimizing land use change in order to improve land surface temperature.

1.4 Research Questions

1. What is the effect of land use change on land surface temperature in Selected Public Universities in Nigeria?
2. To what extent does land use change influence land surface temperature within the study area?
3. What challenges are associated with land use change in relation to land surface temperature?
4. What strategies can be adopted to optimize land use change in order to improve land surface temperature?

1.5 Significance of the Study

This study is significant to a range of stakeholders. For policymakers and regulators, the findings offer evidence to guide the design of frameworks that support healthier outcomes around land surface temperature. For managers and practitioners within Selected Public Universities in Nigeria, the study provides practical insight into how land use change can be better managed. Finally, it contributes to the academic literature on geography by extending existing knowledge into a specific empirical context, and offers a reference point for future researchers.

1.6 Scope of the Study

The study is limited to an examination of Land Use Change and its relationship with land surface temperature within the context of Selected Public Universities in Nigeria. It reflects a clearly defined scope of analysis and relies on data and perspectives available within that scope; generalizing the findings beyond this specific context should therefore be done with appropriate caution.