The Nigerian Institute of Town Planners (NITP) has urged officials of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) responsible for parks, recreation and development control to strengthen implementation processes and ensure strict adherence to the Abuja Master Plan.

NITP President, Dr Chime Ogbonna, made the call during a leadership meeting with officials of the development control department in Abuja.
He stressed the need for a comprehensive review of the Abuja Master Plan, originally prepared in 1979, noting that decades of demographic, technological and physical changes have overtaken key provisions of the document.

Ogbonna said the city has witnessed significant land-use changes, rapid urbanisation across the FCT’s regional areas, population growth and new global approaches to city development, all of which necessitate an updated planning framework.

“We appeal to the Minister of the FCT, who has been leading flagship infrastructure projects, to also prioritise a comprehensive review of the Abuja Master Plan to provide robust guidance for the growth of our national capital,” he said.

He warned that failure to uphold the sanctity of the master plan would result in chaos and disharmony in the city. “There will be disorder when there is no roadmap guiding development. The Abuja Master Plan remains the primary instrument for ensuring coordinated growth. Its implementation procedures must be followed to make Abuja the jewel of the world.”

The NITP president also emphasised that plan implementation is a “serious business,” adding that without proper execution; the city’s well-crafted plans risk being compromised or abused. He encouraged the directors of relevant FCT departments to work in synergy and provide sound technical guidance to the Minister.

Responding, the Acting Director of the FCT Department of Development Control, Dr Bashir Sanusi, commended the institute for its concerns and pledged commitment to safeguarding the master plan. He said the department would promote participatory processes that place citizens at the centre of planning.

“Cities are for people, and we will ensure that stakeholders play critical roles in shaping Abuja. We are committed to ridding the city of illegal developments, ensuring orderliness, and realising the vision of Abuja as a functional and globally admired capital,” Sanusi said.

Also speaking, the Acting Director of the Department of Parks and Recreation, Joseph Dhis, underscored the importance of realising Abuja’s vision as a green, eco-friendly “Garden City of Africa.”

He noted that the master plan allocates no less than 30 per cent of the city’s land use to green development. “Green areas have been conceived as foundational elements of the city’s development. They remain essential not only for aesthetics but also for environmental sustainability,” he said.