Dearth of town planning in Nigerian cities

As a young Nigerian fascinated about travelling nooks and corners of the country, I have been privileged to explore North and South of the country coupled with appreciations of diverse cultures and beauties confirming the country as the largest black nation on earth.  Unfortunately, the country has been trapped in a problem which is bigger […]

As a young Nigerian fascinated about travelling nooks and corners of the country, I have been privileged to explore North and South of the country coupled with appreciations of diverse cultures and beauties confirming the country as the largest black nation on earth. 

Unfortunately, the country has been trapped in a problem which is bigger than corruption and that is disorderliness. Traversing old Nigerian cities, one will appreciate the vision of past heroes but very slow and poor urban development leading us to greater “slum/shanty civilisation” making the urban lifestyle of Nigerians less progressive compared to other developing countries.  

Pioneering cities such as Lagos, Ibadan, Kano, Sokoto, Abeokuta, Ontisha, Port Harcourt, Calabar, Enugu and Kaduna have lost touches of deserving urban modernity coupled with town planning policy making infrastructure less efficient and life less abundant.  

Kaduna under the leadership of Mallam Nasir Elrufai has reawakened befitting urban planning fairly and Abuja losing its grip of organised urban renewal making it so difficult to differentiate between cities and townships.  

Nigerian governors have the largest share of blame for these decadence and there is need for Nigeria to commence its “model city project” prioritising some cities in the country for urban transformation.  

Mujib Dada-Qadri, Esq wrote [email protected]