Sustaining Leisure Places Culture and Clients Safety in Southwest, Nigeria

Abstract

Leisure places intended for entertainment, recreation, and social interaction appear to be losing core cultural value, while insecurity and violence have turned many into danger zones for clients and visitors. This study examines clients’ reactions to insecurity and safety in some selected leisure venues of South West Nigeria. Anchored in Social Control Theory, the study treats institutional measures as rational and essential for guaranteeing safety in these spaces. Using a mixed-methods design, we collected quantitative and qualitative data from four leisure venues in Ekiti and Ondo States. Thirty respondents and five key informants were randomly selected at each site -120 questionnaires distributed; 20 key informant interviews conducted. Quantitative data were analyzed in SPSS; qualitative interviews were transcribed and reported verbatim to complement the survey findings. Results show that 84.7% of respondents have experienced antisocial behavior, including extortion (90%), theft of valuables (85%), grabbing (88%), threats to life (75%), property insecurity (85%), fear of attack (84%), and panic (86%). These cultural shocks and security challenges may undermine the socio-cultural sustainability of leisure spaces and client safety. The paper therefore recommended that most leisure places relevant operators and stakeholders should provide the necessary man power and modern security facilities needed to guarantee leisure places security for clients’ safety, while clients should also adopt precautionary measures.