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INTRODUCTION
Studies concerning recreation centers cannot be Recreational centers include parks, public open
comprehensive without first understanding the act spaces, sports facilities, gardens, etc. In Port
of recreation itself. This is because recreation Harcourt Rivers State there are notable facilities
Centers are only facilities designed to enhance the such as the Alfred Diete Spiff sports complex that
act of recreation. contains series of recreational facilities such as
swimming pool, football, basketball, volleyball, etc.
Smith (1969) defined recreation as a form of play or there are other recreational facilities, Port Harcourt
amusement, refreshment of the body and mind. tourist beach, Port Harcourt Peace Park, and the
Something that pleasantly occupies one’s time after public open spaces along Niger Street, etc.
work is done. It has also been described as an
activity, which is voluntarily undertaken and Kaplan (1988) also sees recreation as one of
practically motivated by leisure and satisfaction. recreating or revitalizing people that they may
efficiently return to activities which are not
• Ibama Brown is currently a Lecturer in the
Department of Urban and Regional Planning in the recreation but economically gainful work.
Rivers State University of Science and Technology,
Port Harcourt, PH-+2348035519084 Furthermore, recreation under good supervision can
E-mail: ibabrown@yahoo.com
help strengthen one and contribute to human
• Wocha Chikagbum is currently a Lecturer in the happiness. The benefits of recreation to man’s
Department of Urban and Regional Planning in the
Rivers State Polytechnic, Bori. PH+2348036751450 wellbeing is emphasized by Riggs.
Email:chikagbum.eric@gmail.com
• Kpunpamo Owanate Boyle is currently a Lecturer Riggs (1935) in his discussion in “The Function of
in the Department of Estate Management in Rivers Recreation to a balanced life” Riggs states that
State Polytechnic, Bori PH+2340803723586
E-mail:owanatekpun@gmail.com recreation in relation to work afford a refreshing
contrast o responsibility and routine, it keeps the
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spirit of adventure and that sense of proportion 2. Advocate the implementation of recreation
which prevents taking one self and one’s work too centers provided in the Bori Master Plan (1972-
seriously. 2003).
3. Design a model recreational center for the use of
Ojo (1976) says that there are so many benefits of Bori Town residents as well as to improve the
recreation, which any sensible society will take very aesthetics of the town.
seriously if it is to survive for a very long time.
LITERATURE REVIEW
Recreational types involves outdoor and indoor
BRIEF HISTORY OF RECREATION
while they are classified passive and active. The
Recreation dates back to the history of man.
outdoor are those under taken outside the confines
However organized recreation began when the
of building, while the indoor are those undertaken in
industrial revolution hit Great Britain in the 1700s.
the comfort of one’s home. This study is therefore,
There were different forms of recreation in then
more or less geared to outdoor recreation, which
days. For instance the Romans had where they
amongst others make demand on organized
watched chariot races and other entertainment
recreation centers.
shows. The Greeks had Amphitheatre where they
If recreational center is been promoted in Bori Town, viewed drama and comedy and other entertainment
it will improve better health conditions general sport spectacles on earth, even bullfights by
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livelihood of the people of Bori Town. gladiators. Even the Bible discusses singing, dancing,
music and other forms of acceptable recreation, so
STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM even the most ancient civilizations enjoyed
Recreation as stated above is one of the basic entertainment and recreation. In the Middle Ages
requirements for mankind to live a balanced and life for most people was dark and difficult. More
healthy life style, this is because after the stress of emphasis was put on work and there was little or no
the day’s activities, one needs a place to relax and time for recreation. However, jousting tournaments,
recreate. Hence, it became imperative that hunting turns rent and the earliest forms of chess
recreational centres be developed in cities and checkers and others games developed during this
towns. Providentially, the Bori Master Plan (1972- time. The people worked hard, the church forbade
2003) proposed an array of open spaces for many forms of entertainment but there were still
recreation for the town which have not been leisure pastimes to help develop the growing history
organized even until the time of this study. Some of of recreation and leisure.
the open spaces have been overgrown with weeds
while others which have not been overgrown by RECREATION IN NIGERIA
bush are being converted for other uses. The need to In pre-colonial times the sports of wrestling was a
organize recreation centers in Bori town is vehicle for expressing individual and social identity,
imperative to the health, aesthetics, economic status and prestige. British colonizers introduced
growth and the general wellbeing of Bori residence. other sports to Nigeria in the early 20th century
football (soccer), boxing, athletics (track and field)
GOAL OF THE STUDY and tennis spread through mission schools, real
The goal of the study is to assess the potentials and companies, the armed forces and the colonial
management of recreational facilities with the intent bureaucracy. After independence in 1960, the
of promoting recreation center in Bori Town in Bori Nigerian government used domestic and
OBJECTIVES international sporting events to foster a sense of
The objectives are to national identity among the various ethnic groups
1. Highlight the need for the development of public and to gain recognition.
recreational centers in Bori town.
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etc. There are public open spaces that enable people Recreation is like a precipitation during the days of
to recreate with little or no money paid. There are sweltering heat, it is like a beam of moonshine in the
privately owned cinemas such as Genesis, Silver bird, awful darkness. Better put recreation is the time
Number I cinema, amongst others. There are many spent either alone or together with loved ones,
eateries in Port Harcourt were people go eat and friends etc for pleasure. If recreation is engaged
also relax or engage in business activities. upon on a regular basis; it will in the long run
enhance good health and achieve a peace of mind.
DEFINITIONS OF RECREATION
There is a myriad of definition for recreation from RECREATION AND HEALTH
many authors as the study of recreation is a very Recreation has many health benefits. Recreational
wide area. However, literature shows that recreation therapy has been developed to take advantage of
is all about time voluntarily spent during leisure time this effect; such therapy is applied in rejuvenation
for ones enjoyment and or amusement. and in the care of the ageing population.
Gold (1980) says that recreation is any leisure time Rusk (1959) has called this aspect “The preventive
activity, which is pursued for its own sake or what medication of the future”.
happens to a person as a result of recreation
experience. RECREATIONAL DEMAND
Dana (1978) defined “Recreation as an insurance As sited in Ibok (1991) People while choosing to use
against disease to the mind and body”. parks and other recreation facilities, consider the
Roberts (1974) says that recreation has positive time, money and trouble invested in such activities
function and the functions are relaxation, and thereby behave in a way that is fundamentally
entertainment and means for personal different from the way they purchase other items.
development. He further defined recreation as “any The gap between attempting to access people wants
pursuit engaged upon during leisure time other to do or ought to do parallels the extreme points on
pursuit to which people are normally highly demand, Gold (1980). Recreation is an activity that
committed”. people engage in during their free time and enjoy as
well as recognize as having socially redeeming values
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satisfaction and pleasure for the participant Yukic
(1970). mostly green areas intended for social and
A traditional view holds that work is supported by recreational activities as well as aesthetic or display
recreation, recreation being useful to “recharge the purposes. Parks are usually larger than gardens and
battery” so that work performance is improved. entail less management of plants. But usage of these
Work, an activity generally performed out of terms varies by country. While some parks and
economic necessity and useful for society and gardens are highly specialized and institutionally
organized within the economic framework, however designed for specific cultural functions, others have
can also be pleasurable and may be self-imposed operated as multipurpose spaces of social
thus blurring the distinction to recreation. interaction, recreation, and ritual, Kaplan (1988).
Maller (2002) highlights the importance to human
PROVISIONS MADE IN THE BORI MASTER PLAN
and wellbeing of regular quality exposure to nature,
(1972-2003)
or natural phenomena, such as trees, grass plants,
The Bori master plan showed playgrounds,
birds and animals. This is particularly critical in urban
playfields, parks and other open spaces where
and sub-urban societies, as these things often aren’t
people carry on active and passive recreation
always readily available to people unless provided in
activities are not only desirable but also an essential
the form of public parks, gardens and reserves.
feature of a health and attractive urban center. They
Putnam (1999) challenges Urban and regional
also serve as open “breaks” in the town that reduce
Planners, Developers and Community Organizers to
densities and relieve the compactness of built-up
ensure (that in future we design) more integrated
areas, residential, commercial or industrial.
and pedestrian friendly areas and that the design of
There are three basic functions which open spaces
our communities and the availabilities of public
serve:
space, will encourage more casual socializing with
1. To meet positive human needs both physical and
friends and neighbors” (and others)
psychological.
2. To enhance and protect the resource base air,
water, soil and plants, and
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3. To promote economic development such as for Implementation. The questionnaire used aimed
tourism and improve development patterns, at collecting information on the following areas:
employment and land values, etc. (i) Reasons for non-implementation of the
The productivity and efficiency of the physical goals and objectives of the master plan of Bori
resources are important factors in allocating open (1972-2003) up till date.
space and development programmes. By protecting (ii) Importance of a model recreation centers in
and preserving these resources, flood damage can Bori Town.
be reduced, water supplies protected, soils (iii) The socio-economic characteristics of house
nourished, wild life enhanced and many economic hold members.
activities, from faming to fishing, promoted. The This explains how the sample size was derived and
misuse of these resources has previously had the sampling technique used in determining those
uneconomic results, such as, polluted waters, costly that were interviewed was multi-stage sampling
flooding, decreased animal and fish production and techniques as streets were delineated as strata
loss of soil through erosion. taking 30 households in each street at random.
Planning for parks, watersheds, scenic beauty,
conservation and amenities cannot be undertaken as
a single function. It must be integrated with all other Table 1: Selected streets in the study area
land uses, economic, social and transportation S/N0 Roads Frequency Valid
Percent
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considerations involving in community, divisional
and state planning. (Bori Master Plan, 1972 – 2003). 1 Hospital 30 20
road
2 TTC road 30 20
METHODOLOGY
3 Zaakpor 30 20
Data was collected from two sources:
road
Primary and Secondary sources 4 Taaba road 30 20
Primary source for this research includes information 5 Bank road 30 20
obtained from interviews using structured
questionnaire, personal observations, photographs Total 150 100.0
Source: Authors’ field work, 2015
etcetera.
Secondary source for this research include
DISCUSSION OF FINDING
information obtained from textbooks, journals,
internet and other published and unpublished Fig.1 Sex of Respondents
articles.
In determining the adequacy and management of
recreational facilities in which this project is
interested in, the target populations are the
government functionaries and managers of
recreation facilities.
Three basic techniques were used for data collection
(i) Personal Observation
(ii) Key Informant Approach; and
(iii) Questionnaire Design and Administration
The Key Informant Approach was structured Source: Authors’ field work, 2015.
questionnaire to interview many users, key
informants and people related to the research. Figure 1 above revealed that 70% of the sampled
The questionnaires instrumentation helped to assess respondents in the Study Area were males, as
the present condition and make recommendation females represented only 30%.
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between the ages of 0-14 years while 28.7% fell
between the ages of 20-34 years. It also shows that
those between 35-44years were 20.7%. The least
Source: Authors’ field work, 2015
was 3.4% being those 55 years and above.
Respondents were asked if they ever had time for
Fig. 2: Educational status of respondents
recreation. The response as revealed in Fig.3 was
that 97% of the respondents do recreate and only
3% of the respondents claimed they do not recreate.
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The result showed in fig. 4 that 92% of the said that it will create employment. But 16.7%
respondents’ claimed lack of recreational facilities as claimed it will improve skills development, 26.7%
reason for not recreating. Only 8% of the said it will enhance entertainment and 3.3%
respondents claimed that they did not have time for responded that it will bring unity in the area.
recreation.
Viewing TV 40 32.0
Swimming 10 8.0
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Total 125 100
Source: Authors’ field work, 2015 The above table 5 showed the Respondents’ reasons
Table 4: showed the respondents suggestion as to why recreation centre is very important in Bori
benefits expected from constructing the Model There was a tie for 23.3% for the enhancement of
Recreation Centre. Enhancement of body fitness and fostering of unity. This was
relaxation/recreation was the highest 43.3%, 10% followed by the ability to ease stress (20.0%). It also
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Plate 3: Showing Open Spaces for Recreation now
converted to the Movement for the Survival of
Ogoni People (MOSOP) Center.
CONCLUSION
Investigations had shown that there are no
recreational facilities in Bori town to enable
interested persons especially the younger ones to
carry out recreation exercise. Recreational activities
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provide variety of opportunity to people and Kaplan M.: “Sustainable open space development,
enhance the quality of life. It is for this reason that a Israel Journal of Environment, 21 (3),(1988).
model recreation center has been proposed.
Lawson F, Band-Bovy M. Tourism and recreational
development. London: Architectural Press; 1977
RECOMMENDATIONS
The following recommendations are made: Maller C, Townsend M, Brown P and St Léger.:
1. It is recommended that a Planning Authority Healthy Parks Healthy People. Deakin University and
should be established and made functional in Bori. Parks Victoria, Melbourne, (2002)
2. Also, employment of qualified Town Planners who
Mercy Ibok: Adequacy and Management of Major
will enforce development control and help in the Outdoor recreational facilities in Port Harcourt.
implementation Bori Master Plan. (Unpublished Thesis), (1991).
3. Government should recognize the need for the
implementation of the open spaces designated in Ojo: Parks, Recreation and Open Space Washington
the Bori master plan (1972-2003). American Planning Association. (1976)
4. There should be adequate management for the
Riggs M. A.: Recreation in total rehabilitation,
proposed recreation center on completion.
Charles C. Publishers U.K. (1935)
5. The provision of recreational facilities should
serve both active and passive that outdoor and Roberts William H.: Design of metropolitan Open
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indoor recreation. Space based on natural process Philadelphia:
6. Recreational facilities should be of standard to University of Pennsylvania, (1974).
satisfy the recreational needs of the residents.
Rusk, L.O.: Fundamentals of recreation Hampers and
6. The Master Plan for Bori should be urgently
Row Publishers Incorporated New York, (1959)
revised so as to accommodate the present land use
in Bori and ensure that all structures put up in the Seymour M. Gold: Recreation Planning and Designs,
city meet the specified standards. (1980)
REFERENCES
Alexander, G. Parks, recreation, and open space, A
twenty-first century agenda, Washington, American
Planning Association,(2000).
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