PERCEPTIONS OF RESIDENTS ON MENACE OF AIRCRAFT NOISE IN THE MAIDUGURI AIRPORT AREA, BORNO STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

This study examines the perception of residents of Maiduguri international airport area on menace
caused by aircraft noise in the study area. To determine the sample size for this research, Krejcie
and Morgan’s (1970) table of determining sample size was adopted, 420 sample size was adopted
for questionnaire administration purpose. The study used a quantitative research approach and
collected data from 363 respondents through questionnaire administration. The research utilized
the mean ranking in analysing the data obtained from the field. The research revealed that aircraft
noise negatively impacts the behaviour of the residents. The study also found that residents are
willing to stay in the neighbourhood due to the presence of security personnel in the area but are
disturbed by the menace associated with aircraft noise. These menace as identified by the study
include vibration, noise pollution, disturbance to sleep, interference to speech and other forms of
communication, lack of comfort, temporary hearing loss, reduced opportunity for privacy,
vibration and annoyance. The study therefore recommends among other things that investors and
property developers should consider the effects of noise on the health and psyche of the residents
before embarking on building and construction of residential property, individuals and
government should embark on the upgrading of sound insulation on buildings to reduce the
negative impacts of aircraft noise to enhance the quality of urban life of tenants. Government
through urban development board should also ensure proper land use planning which is an
obvious and almost universally accepted technique for minimizing the negative impact of airport
noise in areas adjacent to airports