The Nigerian Institute of Town Planners (NITP) has called for effective enforcement of Nigeria’s urban and regional planning legislation to address flooding, waste management challenges and uncoordinated development across the country.
The National President of the institute, Tpl. Dr Chime Ogbonna made the call at a news conference in Lagos, ahead of the NITP’s 57th International Conference and Annual General Meeting.
He stressed that effective physical planning was essential to environmental protection, economic development and improved living conditions.
Ogbonna identified Lagos’ recurring refuse management challenges as an example of the consequences of inadequate infrastructure planning and rapid population growth.
He noted that the state’s limited land area and concentration of more than 20 million people had increased pressure on waste disposal facilities and other public services.
“The more the population, the more refuse is generated,” he said, explaining that the scarcity of available land made it increasingly difficult to establish additional waste disposal sites without competing with residential areas, playgrounds and other public facilities.
He attributed persistent environmental problems, including flooding, overcrowding and poorly planned settlements, partly to the inadequate implementation of the Nigerian Urban and Regional Planning Act of 1992, which provides a framework for preparing and implementing development plans.
“The law lays down the procedure for preparation of the plans that will make our environment liveable and our settlements sustainable,” he said.
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The NITP president called on federal, state and local governments to strengthen planning institutions, enforce approved master plans and ensure that infrastructure provision keeps pace with population growth.
He urged the Lagos State Government to extend the planning measures adopted for Eko Atlantic City to other flood-prone areas, arguing that coordinated development and appropriate infrastructure could help reduce flooding and its impact on lives and property.
“What they did at Eko Atlantic should please be replicated in all the other areas within Lagos,” he said.
Ogbonna also advocated for mandatory master plans for universities, polytechnics and colleges of education before construction begins, insisting that qualified town planners should prepare the plans for approval by the relevant state governments.
“Every new university, every new polytechnic and every new college of education in Nigeria must, ahead of time, prepare a master plan of the campus,” he said.
He warned that projects undertaken without adequate professional planning could result in abandoned infrastructure, environmental damage and waste of public funds.
“Every development that commences without having been pre-planned by the relevant professional bodies, especially planners, will not stand the test of time,” he said.
The NITP president further advocated coordinated regional development among South-West states, including Lagos, Ogun, Ekiti and Ondo, to open up new areas for investment, identify suitable locations for waste management facilities and ease pressure on Lagos.
He also called for the decentralisation of port facilities from Lagos to other parts of Nigeria to reduce congestion, distribute economic opportunities and promote balanced national development.
Ogbonna stressed that community participation should be incorporated into planning from the outset to encourage public cooperation and improve implementation.
He urged governments to prioritise long-term development strategies, professional oversight and coordinated infrastructure investment, describing effective physical planning as essential to building safer, more liveable settlements and addressing environmental pressures associated with Nigeria’s rapid urbanisation.
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