Nigeria’s urban centres unplanned, says Buratai

A former Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Yusuf Buratai (retd.), has expressed concern over the state of urban planning in Nigeria, saying Nigeria’s urban centres are unplanned. Buratai spoke in Lagos during the 2025 Valuers’ Assembly, organised by the Estate Surveyors and Valuers Registration Board of Nigeria (ESVARBON), with the theme: “50 Years […]

A former Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Yusuf Buratai (retd.), has expressed concern over the state of urban planning in Nigeria, saying Nigeria’s urban centres are unplanned.

Buratai spoke in Lagos during the 2025 Valuers’ Assembly, organised by the Estate Surveyors and Valuers Registration Board of Nigeria (ESVARBON), with the theme: “50 Years of Regulatory Excellence: Golden Legacies and Brighter Tomorrow.”

He said Nigeria once enjoyed functional and coordinated urban development in the pre-independence era and through the 1960s and 70s, but that such planning has since been abandoned.

“Our urban centres are so unplanned,” Buratai said, adding, “We used to have very functional urban planning, but over the years, it has been abandoned. I don’t know why.”

According to him, effective land management and valuation are central to national development, security, and the creation of livable cities.

He noted that slums which remain widespread in many Nigerian cities have become havens for criminal activities due to poor infrastructure and lack of coordinated planning.

He stressed that estate surveyors and valuers must work closely with local, state and federal governments to restore ethical and well-coordinated urban planning that prioritizes roads, drainage systems, recreational facilities, schools, and markets.

Buratai also urged professionals in the sector to acquire digital and artificial intelligence competencies in order to contribute meaningfully to modern urban development.

Speaking earlier, the Acting Chairman of ESVARBON, ESV (Prof.) Terzungwe Dugeri, said the Board has made remarkable progress since it began with about 100 surveyors five decades ago.

He noted that advancements in ICT, globalization, and new professional frontiers have transformed the practice.

“We are doing the best we can to render quality, state-of-the-art services,” he said, adding that the Board is modernizing its operations, with most registration processes now conducted virtually.

 

Registrar of the Board, ESV Janet Shehu, said the Valuers’ Assembly remains a forum for appraising industry issues, reinforcing ethics, and strengthening standards.

 

She urged members to fully embrace digital tools and artificial intelligence to keep pace with global trends.

 

“We are in a digital age,” she said. “Our members must embrace technology because it is shaping our practice globally.”