Agenda for management of Abuja land resources

This is the driving force for the introduction of the design of phase V towards the end of the last Obasanjo administration. The ideal place for location of airports is outside the city for safety reasons as proposed by the IPA. This was in order to avoid the situation of planes flying closer to congested […]

This is the driving force for the introduction of the design of phase V towards the end of the last Obasanjo administration. The ideal place for location of airports is outside the city for safety reasons as proposed by the IPA. This was in order to avoid the situation of planes flying closer to congested areas. This concept has now been jettisoned by the extension of the city development to phase V that shares boundary with the Airport.
With the rate chunks of the city land is presently being grabbed it is doubtful whether any shall be left for the use of the future generations. Already, almost all available spaces from the first to the last phase of the City development are allocated. According to the former FCT Minister, 90% of the allocated plots in the FCT are not developed. The erstwhile slogan of available spacious area associated with Abuja is now a thing of the past. We use to make comments on the performances of successive FCT Administrations with respect to fraudulent land allocations involving mind-boggling and large chunks of land. According to available evidences, the last FCT administration was incomparable to any in the past, in the area of land misappropriation.
Managing the city’s land resources remain the greatest challenge to all the FCT Administrations. Among others, what should pre-occupy the minds of the policy makers in the next FCT Administration is how to manage the available land resources. Measures to be taken should address the endemic problem of land speculation in Abuja.
Land must be allocated to the deserving persons or organisations, rather than those who would not be capable of development and who would resort to speculation. Allocations, including mass housing, must be relative to the needs, in compliance with the land uses. Building development must comply with guidelines and regulations. With respect to the various residential densities, wherever a high rise is required to accommodate 6-8 families as in high density development, it must be complied with. Otherwise the targeted population would not be achieved for the neighbourhood, the district and ultimately the city. The level of compliance with the guidelines for the city development determines the extent of meeting up with the projected population in accordance with the Abuja master plan.
It must be noted that the whole city has already been allocated, but 90% has not been developed as stated by the former FCT Minister himself. Corrections must be effected. Stock of those large plots allocations not in compliance with allocation procedure must be taken. Areas that are yet to be developed must be freed and made available to the deserving developers. In order to make lands available for development all areas requiring resettlement should be addressed. The resettlement must also be carried out by the authority.
The Abuja URP Tribunal must be put to its proper use in order to assist in resolving the prevailing intractable land conflicts. Above all, a state of emergency must be declared to address the mismanagement of lands is Abuja, and the FCT administration must be highly disciplined in the area of land allocation and general urban management.
Shu’aibu writes from Minna, Niger State.