Environmental concerns of metal containers used as shops

Dangers posed by metal containers converted into shops have become a major concern and this is disturbing to those who care about proper town planning, environmental beauty, smooth traffic flow and public health.
This ugly development is traceable to the importation of goods from overseas with these containers which some traders turn into shops due to its already-made nature. The cost of building a shop or paying for rent is minimised at high environmental cost.
These containers have doors and windows made out of them, after which they are painted and shelves constructed inside them for displaying of wares.
Common goods usually sold in these containers include mobile telephone sets and accessories, videos, audio cassettes and provisions. In Maiduguri, for instance, such containers are mostly used by sellers of water sachet and soft drinks, barbers and tailors.
Initially, when this practice began, the containers were in towns like Maiduguri, Kano, Gombe and Bauchi, but in recent months, there has been a massive installation of the containers in other towns such as Yola, Biu, Jalingo and Damaturu. Interestingly, these containers have now been lined up along hospitals, schools and market roads.
The trend has spread to major towns with the metal structures inside the main markets, streets, and the main roads. Even the satellite communities have their fair share of these containers being used as shops.
The point has to be made clear that the concern is not that more people are venturing into trading and other commercial activities. Indeed, it is a welcome development that people who hitherto shy away from commerce despite its financial attractiveness have now seen the light and are setting up business ventures.
Rather, the disturbing concern is the threat posed by converting metal containers into shops in various ways.
First, by the nature of these containers, they were not meant for human habitation nor are they conducive for storing of a wide range of goods.
This is in the sense that the metal absorbs and keeps heat beyond the level safe for human health. Similarly, the high temperature in the containers can affect the quality of goods stored in therm.
The height of the concern is the general hot and humid nature of the north-east, almost throughout the year. The same applies for other parts of country with the unbearable heat most times of the year.
With this situation, apart from the discomfort that is caused by the use of metal containers as shops, the heat could cause or aggravate certain health problems to the public.
This aside, the metal containers are being put in place without regards to the landscape master plan of towns. In some places they are so close to the road. In others, they take up parking space. Apart from breaching the master plan, the fact that the owners paint them in colours that suit them while their sizes and shapes differ, negatively affect the beauty of towns.
On the whole, it can be said that there is no way haphazardly installed containers of different colours, shapes and sizes can take the place of well designed and built shops, which are part of the master plans of the state capitals and other urban centres in Nigeria.
Bearing this fact in mind, there is need for the urban planning and development authorities to take final action on these metal containers across towns which are being used as business centres.
These containers pose serious health and environmental problems, therefore, authorities need to act fast to protect public health.
Meanwhile, some of these containers are placed in certain areas in a way that they affect free flow of water thereby compounding flood, a situation that calls for environmental concern.
Finally the state and local governments should, in partnership with the private sector, build more shops so that those setting up business centres can have decent and safe accommodation to operate.
Su’udi writes from the Department of Mass Communication, University of Maiduguri, Borno State