The Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to sustainable urban development, affordable housing and balanced regional growth, announcing plans to formulate strategic development frameworks for Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones.
The Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Dr Muttaqha Rabe Darma, disclosed this at the opening of the 57th International Conference and Annual General Meeting of the Nigerian Institute of Town Planners (NITP) in Lagos.
Darma, who was represented by the ministry’s Director of Urban and Regional Planning, Mrs Margaret Ojewemimo Adejobi, said the government was pursuing policies and programmes aimed at strengthening physical planning, expanding access to housing and promoting sustainable development across the country.
He explained that the proposed regional development plans would improve coordination of land use, infrastructure, economic activities and urban expansion across the geopolitical zones.
The minister commended the NITP for providing a platform for professional discussions and practical solutions to the challenges confronting physical planning and urban development in Nigeria.
The conference, themed “Shaping the Future of Urban Development Through Physical Planning,” also featured the investiture of Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, as a Fellow of the institute and the unveiling of four books on physical planning and urban development.
Meanwhile, the NITP President, Dr Chime Ogbonna, called on the Federal Government to decentralise port facilities from Lagos to other suitable locations across the country to ease pressure on the state’s infrastructure and create opportunities for regional economic growth.
Ogbonna said the concentration of port-related facilities in Lagos was placing enormous pressure on the state’s transportation infrastructure, land resources, environment and urban system.
He stressed that decentralising port facilities and associated logistics activities must be guided by proper regional planning, transport connectivity, environmental assessments and economic considerations.
The town planners also urged the government to strengthen environmental safeguards for land reclamation projects, particularly those involving the recovery of land from the sea.
Ogbonna further called for a comprehensive review of major federal projects abandoned by previous administrations, saying their economic, social and regional development value should be assessed before decisions are made on whether to revive them.
Declaring the conference open on behalf of Governor Sanwo-Olu, the Lagos State Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Dr Oluyinka Olumide, highlighted the state’s geographical limitations and growing population.
He noted that Lagos occupies approximately 3,577 square kilometres, making effective physical planning, affordable housing and coordinated infrastructure development essential to managing increasing pressure on available land.
The NITP conference brought together professionals and stakeholders to examine how physical planning can support sustainable urban development and improve the future of Nigerian cities.