<p>Rapid urbanization in Sub-Saharan Africa, especially in Nigeria’s secondary cities, has increased spatial complexity and weakened planning systems. This study integrates micro-level land use typologies with geospatial analytics to better assess urban structure and zoning conformity. Using high-resolution IKONOS imagery and an Object-Based Image Analysis (OBIA) approach, built-up areas across the 21 political wards were classified into six categories: residential, commercial, institutional, industrial, mixed-use, and recreational. Spatial metrics, including patch density, edge density, Shannon’s diversity index, aggregation index, and Global Moran’s I, were employed to evaluate fragmentation, heterogeneity, and spatial clustering, while conformity analysis assessed alignment with national zoning standards. The results reveal significant spatial fragmentation in peripheral wards, which are expanding rapidly in area. The patch and edge densities in most peripheral wards are relatively high, indicating sprawl and a lack of coordination in residential development. Mean Shannon’s diversity index (0.62) indicates mild to moderate diversity of Land uses in Ile-Ife. Residential land use is highly concentrated, with aggregation index values of more than 85%. The industrial and recreational land uses are increasingly fragmented and dispersed, and are at a considerable distance from the populated Wards. The analysis also shows a notable positive spatial autocorrelation, indicating the presence of ward clusters with significant results. This paper identifies severe government weaknesses and structural limitations in urban areas and shows that integrating micro-level land-use typologies with geospatial metrics can help implement an effective regulatory process for evidence-based decision-making and resilient urban development aligned with Sustainable Development Goal 11.</p>