Spatial Assessment of Closest Facilities in an Emergency during Election: A Case Study of Oyo Federal Constituency, Oyo State, Nigeria

Abstract

The study used Geospatial technology to assess the closest facilities in an emergency in Oyo Federal Constituency, Oyo State of Nigeria with a view to determine the distances between the potentially violence prone polling units amongst the 551 polling units spread across the study area. Geographic Information System methods were applied. Locations of the Police formations and the hospitals serving as the emergency facilities were acquired directly from the field using a handheld GPS while the other secondary data sets were acquired from statutory bodies especially the geographic coordinates of the polling units from Independent National Electoral Commission, Abuja. The datasets were projected to the same coordinate system. Topology was used in data validation to check for gaps at the road junctions. Network analyst tool in ArcGIS Pro was used to generate the best routes and the closest facilities. Findings showed that 5 hospitals can manage emergencies effectively and efficiently. 5 police divisions are located in the study area with an Area Command Office. Best routes were determined between the polling units and the hospitals with minimum being 1.6Km and maximum gotten to be 10.5Km. The closest hospital is Peamark Hospital and is 1.06Km from Mabolaje polling unit. The study was concluded after best routes to the critical election infrastructures were determined and also closest facilities to the violence prone polling units were established. The study recommends splitting the over-crowded polling units, establishments of more secondary provider public hospitals and more personnel in the police formations.