Abuja masterplan: The indigenous input (II)

While preparing the master plan, it was identified that a major shortcoming in past planning for Nigerian cities was the failure to recognise and accommodate the indigenous patterns of urban organisation and adaptation already present in the country. Nigeria has an important urban tradition. The tradition includes how people lived both in cities with ancient […]

While preparing the master plan, it was identified that a major shortcoming in past planning for Nigerian cities was the failure to recognise and accommodate the indigenous patterns of urban organisation and adaptation already present in the country. Nigeria has an important urban tradition. The tradition includes how people lived both in cities with ancient roots dating back centuries and in new towns created during the colonial period.

The new capital city of Nigeria is preserved and built on that which is unique and valuable in Nigeria’s urban tradition. Therefore, the varied ways in which Nigerian cities evolved and related was not ignored. The African neighbourliness brotherhood and family ties which made us identify our close and distant relations as ours is unique, best and incomparable to any foreign culture.

The cultural pluralism of Nigeria suggests that the city plan must simultaneously permit the different segments of the Nigerian population to maintain an important degree of continuity with their social and cultural traditions while encouraging, where appropriate, amalgamation of the various streams of urban tradition and lifestyle into a new and common modern Nigerian urban context.

An important ingredient in the development of the master plan, therefore, has been a review of the relationships that have developed between social and physical aspects in existing Nigerian cities. Basically, what IPA did was to organise the reports, bring up the basic planning principle and concept best suitable for the Nigerian capital city based on the urban culture and tradition, and applied the standards based on international best practice. Again, all the participants in the project were assigned to specific aspects of the report which they are best at.

Three key urban planning and design issues were considered. These are overall urban form, role of central public spaces and organisation of residential areas. The result of this analysis led to the adoption of the neighbourhood concept, making the neighbourhood the smallest unit in planning of the capital city.

Neighbourhood boundaries are defined by arterial roads, while neighbourhood facilities include nursery and primary schools, family clinic, shopping centre, community hall, postal agency and police charge office. It is expected that the residents obtain their basic needs without traversing across major arterial roads. Whatever needs that could not be obtained at the neighbourhood, are graduated to the district and subsequently the city centre.

At the beginning, the primary services obtained at the neighbourhood level were provided by the public sector, but due to the later privatisation policy, the private sector also become another major stakeholder. Lands are now allocated for private schools, clinics and other services. Community centre services are now taken over by the Parks and Recreation. The 2019 FCT Park Policy specifies Neighbourhood, District and City parks, consequent upon the Abuja Master Plan Neighbourhood Concept.

It is important to know that the master plan is not a conclusive document, but a guide to the planning of the subsequent sectors of the city development using the first phase as a model. Therefore, broad land use plans of the later phases of the city development were produced by indigenous planning firms. Subsequently, the districts were again assigned to indigenous planning firms to produce their land use plans, before the commencement of their development.

The sector planning approach is adopted to take care of subsequent amendments, global advancements and changing values and standards. For example, in Phase I, there are areas that were originally earmarked for residential along Yakubu Gowon Crescent in Asokoro District, Ademola Adetokumbo and Aminu Kano crescents in Wuse II District, and other similar places. But, presently the uses in these areas are overtaken by commercial developments.

This observation guided the subsequent planning in the Phase II. Areas susceptible to such future land use changes were earmarked for mixed development; Example in Phase II which is along the Obafemi Awolowo Way through Utako and Jabi Districts.

Meanwhile, all the consultants engaged for the subsequent planning projects of the districts from Phase II, were given guidelines by the FCDA, which conform to the original Neighbourhood Concept of the city development, with all the recognised centres.

The Central Area District in the first phase of the city development is also divided into phases I and II. Again, following the guidelines of the Abuja Master Plan, development guidelines and regulations were produced by Kenzo Tange and AIMS Consultants, respectively.

Perhaps, measuring standards may differ; in any case, they are considered flexible in planning due to changes and innovations. But, it must be noted that the neighbourhood concept as the basic planning principle can be adopted, irrespective of all modern global changes and innovations in city development.   

Abraam Krushkhov and Thomas Todd were the IPA project director and associate director, respectively, in the production of the Abuja Master Plan. In their biographies, the production of the Abuja Master Plan was specifically mentioned among their major achievements. (Concluded)