As the world marks World Habitat Day 2025 on Monday, October 6, the Nigerian Institute of Town Planners (NITP) has joined both local and international communities in highlighting the urgent need to address the rising challenges facing urban settlements. This year’s theme, “Urban Crises Response,” focuses on the growing pressures within cities and the importance of proactive measures to ensure sustainable urban development.
In a statement to commemorate the occasion, the NITP described the theme as timely and highly relevant. The Institute emphasized that urban areas must be free of crises if they are to provide improved living standards and function effectively as engines of development. Cities are vital to a nation’s economy, contributing significantly to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), and their efficient management is crucial to national growth.
However, the NITP expressed concern over the multidimensional nature of urban crises currently affecting Nigerian cities. These challenges span social, environmental, and economic fronts. Socially, urban areas are plagued by issues such as overcrowding, the spread of informal settlements, rising social unrest, and poor access to healthcare. Environmental concerns include increasing climate-related events, poor waste management, land degradation, and recurring disasters like flooding and fire outbreaks. On the economic side, many city dwellers face poverty and lack access to essential services, while municipal governments often lack the financial capacity to keep up with the demands of a rapidly urbanizing population.
The Institute identified the root causes of these challenges in population pressures, including mass migration to cities, and the growing demand for land and infrastructure, such as housing, roads, schools, healthcare facilities, and drainage systems. These pressures have exposed the inadequacies of urban governance systems, which often struggle to respond due to bureaucratic delays, political interference, and poor planning.
NITP also noted that the effects of urban crises are not confined to city limits. Because cities are central to regional economies, disruptions within them have ripple effects on surrounding rural and semi-urban areas. In many cases, vulnerable populations — particularly those living in informal settlements or coastal communities — are the hardest hit. The growing impact of climate change, coupled with inadequate land use planning, has intensified these vulnerabilities.
According to the NITP, the current approach to addressing urban crises has largely been reactive. Responses often come in the form of emergency public interventions, limited private sector initiatives, and global policy frameworks like the Sustainable Development Goals. While these efforts are commendable, they are often fragmented and fail to prevent crises before they escalate.
The Institute stressed that Nigeria must now adopt proactive, context-specific strategies for managing its urban areas. It called for solutions rooted in local socio-economic realities, rather than relying on imported urban models that may not fit Nigeria’s unique challenges. Town planners argue that without proper development plans in place, cities cannot effectively respond to the growing threats they face.
NITP emphasized the need for collaborative urban governance, involving residents, local governments, professionals, and other stakeholders. They argued that inclusive planning, with strong community engagement, is vital for co-creating practical and sustainable solutions. The role of the private sector was also highlighted, with the Institute calling for stronger partnerships to improve service delivery and infrastructure in urban areas.
In conclusion, the Nigerian Institute of Town Planners urged government agencies to continuously involve the public in shaping laws, policies, and programs that address urban challenges. Only through shared responsibility and consistent stakeholder engagement, the Institute said, can Nigeria hope to build cities that are resilient, inclusive, and free of crisis.