Get Guardian on GoogleTown planners have called for the preparation and implementation of regional, master, structure and local development plans for cities, towns and emerging settlements to promote orderly, inclusive and sustainable growth.
They also urged governments to strengthen physical planning institutions through adequate funding, capacity development and the appointment of qualified, registered town planners to relevant professional positions.
The Nathaniel Atebije Foundation for Planning Advocacy (NAFPA) and the Nigerian Institute of Town Planners (NITP), Lagos State chapter, gave the charge to mark this year’s World Town Planning Day, celebrated yearly on November 8 and themed: “Great Communities are Built on Planning: Together We Deliver, Together We Thrive, Together We Sustain.”
In a statement signed by its Director, Nathaniel Atebije, NAFPA expressed concern that despite Nigeria’s enormous human and economic resources, many cities, towns and rural settlements continued to experience poor planning, weak development control, fragmented institutions and inadequate investment in planning infrastructure.
It, however, identified the proliferation of informal settlements, indiscriminate land-use conversion, encroachment on green spaces and public reservations, poor drainage and outdated development plans as major challenges, describing the situation in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), as particularly worrying.
The Foundation, therefore, called for a shift from development without physical planning, insisting that approved spatial development plans should guide decisions on housing, transportation, infrastructure, industrial development, agriculture and environmental management.
It also advocated stronger development control to ensure compliance with approved plans, building regulations and environmental standards, without political interference or selective enforcement.
NAFPA stressed the need to protect parks, green spaces, waterways, wetlands and public reservations from incompatible development, while promoting inclusive planning through community engagement and collaborative decision-making.
According to Atebije, physical planning goes beyond preparing master plans, allocating land and regulating buildings. It involves coordinating land and other resources, managing competing interests and creating conditions for economic growth, environmental protection and improved quality of life.
He said functional communities required shared responsibility, with government providing policy direction and resources, town planners offering professional expertise, the private sector investing responsibly and residents participating in decisions affecting their environment.
The Foundation also urged governments to integrate climate adaptation, disaster-risk reduction, sustainable mobility and nature-based solutions into development plans to address flooding, erosion, pollution and biodiversity loss.
Also speaking, Chairman of NITP, Lagos State chapter, Dr David Olawale, urged the Lagos State Government to prioritise the implementation of its master plans, model city plans and district development frameworks.
He said sustainable communities depended on deliberate planning, effective development control and compliance with professional standards by developers and landowners.
According to him, a well-planned community should provide safe neighbourhoods, accessible schools, clean markets, efficient transport systems, recreational facilities and economic opportunities.
Olawale said planning decisions must provide for roads, drainage, schools, hospitals, markets and open spaces before construction begins, adding that communities should accommodate residents across income groups, ages and physical abilities while addressing environmental risks through proper drainage and wetland protection.
He, however, urged the state government to strengthen planning institutions and ensure consistent enforcement of development regulations, stressing that approved plans must guide physical development rather than remain on paper.
Olawale also advised developers and landowners to obtain planning permits and comply with approved layouts, warning that unauthorised buildings could endanger lives and undermine community safety.
He urged residents to support enforcement measures protecting drainage channels, building setbacks and public open spaces, noting that such interventions could safeguard communities and future generations.
