Recent leadership transition in the FCT Departments of Parks and Recreation and Development Control have resulted in the appointments of new Acting Directors in these Departments by the Honorable Minister of the FCT, Bar Nyesome Wike. For the Department of Development Control, Tpl. Dr Bashir Magaji Sunusi, took over the helms of the affairs of the Department last month; while Tpl Joseph Dhis – last month became new Acting Director of the Department of Parks and Recreation.

Following the leadership transition, the Nigerian Institute of Town Planners (NITP) organized a one-day leadership breakfast meeting on Thursday 4th December 2025 with the Acting Directors and other critical staff of the Departments, focusing on a robust process in the implementation of the Abuja master plan and the sustainable development of the Abuja and its regional areas.

It was an interactive session where the national president of the Institute, Tpl Dr Chime Ogbonna, FNITP, outlined several measures that when followed should lead to a robust process in the implementation of the Abuja Master Plan. ‘You should at all times uphold the sanctity of the Abuja Master plan as the critical instrument guiding the development of the city. Without this there will be chaos and disharmony in the city; there will be disorder when there is no road map to guide the city’s development; and it is only the Abuja master plan that provides that direction for the comprehensive development of the city.

This must be followed and protected at all times. The laid down implementation procedures contained in the master plan should be adhered to make Abuja the jewel of the world. He noted further that:‘implementation is a serious business because it is only through it that our beautiful plans and policies get translated on the ground. Therefore, as the Directors of these critical Departments in the FCT, you should approach the implementation of the Abuja Master Plan with all seriousness and commitment. Without this our beautiful master plan will never be implemented as intended and will end up even being abused and compromised.

Related to this also, the NITP president underscored the imperativeness of the domestication of the Nigerian Urban and Regional Planning Law of 1992 ( CAP N138 LFN 2004) by the federal government and all the states of the federation including the FCT, to provide robust legal framework for planning to thrive in the country as well as for urban governance and administration to functional sustainably in the country.Beyond the call by the NITP for the master plan to be adhered to and protected, the national president also stressed the need for the comprehensive review of the Abuja Master Plan as well as the preparation of regional master plans for the FCT regional areas.

He underscores thus: ‘the Abuja Master Plan was prepared in 1979 and there have been dynamism and changes in the city over the decades; there have been landuse trend and changes in the city; there have been massive urbanization across the FCT regional areas as well as population upsurge in the city; there have been new technologies and contemporary ideas of city planning and development for instance, the 15- minute walk city, smart-city, compact city, green-city, among others, all of which demand for the review of the Abuja Master Plan as well as the preparation of regional master plans for the satellite and regional areas of the 6 Area Councils. We therefore appeal to the Hon Minister of the FCT, who has been leading in flagship projects and infrastructure development in the FCT, to also see to it that the Abuja Master Plan is comprehensively reviewed to provide robust guidance for the development of our national capital. Of course, Mr. Minister is Mr. project, and we have no doubt in his ability to steer this process.

Responding, the new Acting Director of the FCT Department of Development Control, Tpl Dr. Bashir Madaki Sunusi, thanked the Institute and pledged to ensure that the master plan is adhered to and protected as well as lead a participatory process in which the public are central to the development of the city. ‘‘’Cities are for people and we will ensure that the people and stakeholders play critical roles in the development of the city; we will ensure that Abuja is rid of illegal activities; we will make Abuja an orderly and functional city; and above all, we will make Abuja the jewel of the nation and the world as envisioned by the Abuja Master Plan’’, he says.

On the part of the Tpl Joseph Dhis, the new Acting Director of the FCT Department of Parks and Recreation, he stressed the importance of developing Abuja into a Green City – the Garden City of Africa. ‘’We are not unmindful of the critical role of our Department within the context of the Abuja master plan. The Master Plan stipulates that the city should be developed as a garden city and earmarks not less than 30% of the city’s landuse budget for green development.

This means that from the very foundation of the Abuja Master Plan, green areas have been conceived as one of the building blocks of the city toward making the city not only aesthetically pleasant but environmentally friendly and the preservation of nature. We are therefore going to continue in this trajectory of making Abuja the Green City in Africa and the world; we will continue to plant more trees in all the districts of Abuja and beyond; we will continue to integrate nature and urban design in the development of the city; we will continue to see how our blue heritage plays a critical role in the city’s blue economy toward improving the economic base of the city; we will also continue to promote the relationship between our green areas and climate change in the city’’, outlines – the new Acting Director of the Department of Parks and Recreation.

The leadership breakfast meeting would not have come at a better time than now, considering the fact Abuja is already booming with infrastructure all over the city and in the area councils. Such a leadership engagement, indeed helps promote further ideas of sustainable urban development and management of the city and the regional areas of the FCT. ‘’Exchange of ideas is important for leaders and that is why it became imperative for the Institute to organize this breakfast meeting with the new Acting Directors, explains, Tpl Dr Chiahemba Nor, the national public relations secretary of the Institute.

The meeting ended with the NITP national president calling on the Acting Directors and all the Director in the FCT to always – work in synergy toward the overall growth and development of Abuja. ‘’Working in synergy is important and always relate with sister departments to move Abuja further. Also, it is imperative to always offer sound technical and robust ideas to the Hon Minister of the FCT because he has entrusted you by making you the Acting Directors of these important agencies in Abuja.

His appointment is a testament of his vast planning experience cutting across many planning agencies in the country which should come handy in the robust development of the city and the regional areas of the FCT.

The national president of the Nigerian Institute of Town Planners held a breakfast meeting with the two Departments focusing on a robust process in the implementation of the Abuja. The new Acting Directors are new Acting Directors have been appointed in these Departments.