The imperatives for prudent use of land in the FCC

In order to avoid waste, land plot sizes are supposed to be determined relative to the needs of the allottees. If one’s need can be contained in 500m2, then any excess portion beside that is a waste. Many others that need it cannot get access because somebody already has the title. In the Federal Capital […]

In order to avoid waste, land plot sizes are supposed to be determined relative to the needs of the allottees. If one’s need can be contained in 500m2, then any excess portion beside that is a waste. Many others that need it cannot get access because somebody already has the title. In the Federal Capital City (FCC), the sizes of low, medium and high density plots representing high, medium and low income groups respectively, are approximately 2,000m2 and above, 1,500m2 and 1,000m2.

Apart from the high and medium density plots required to accommodate eight and six families respectively, the low density plots with large sizes are required to accommodate one or two families only. The cost of development is another matter, because the low income development that comprises a block of three to four floors is usually higher than the high income development with only one storey as requirement. Thus one has to be a high income earner before he can make a low income development or even to afford its rent in Abuja. It is important to note that the high income earner can also be comfortably accommodated within the medium density block, with six families as required by the regulation. The matter is that of choice.

If the erstwhile federal legislators’ quarters in Apo cannot be classified as a high income residential area, we cannot imagine the category of our citizens’ residences that could be so classified while making public policy. Moreover, a duplex unit as developed in the legislative quarters is the one considered as a high income development in the development requirements in the city. This includes the setbacks or the spaces in front used for parking and at the rear for some domestic activities. None of the units in Apo has an approximate total of 500m2 for the use of a family apart from the corner units within a block of duplexes. With this as a yardstick, is it not necessary to still consider the size of 2,000m2 for a high income residential plot for the use of only a single family.

We do not say that those that require the larger plots with facilities like swimming pools and tennis courts should not obtain what they want if they can afford, but it must not be within the highly expensive city areas, at the same time the one needed to accommodate the working class who need to be close to their places of employment and whose plights of transportation difficulties require adequate attention from the government.

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If before, there was apathy to the reality of the Abuja project, now the success story has attracted almost all the citizens beyond expectation, and those vying for plots in the city have multiplied a hundredfold. If before, there was sufficient land to appropriate at will, today the reality of the exhaustive nature of the natural resource has glaringly manifested in our faces. If before, the radius from the Central Business District (CBD) for areas considered as low or medium residential zones according to the burgess’ concentric zone model were within 10km, today it has increased to 20km.

More evidence of all these is the various applications for conversions of residential premises for commercial uses and those not formally approved but illegally converted. All these are enough reasons for us to reconsider our standards with the view to accommodating the prevailing realities by reducing the plots sizes to the actual needs of the allottees.

More than 30 years ago, in my urban management class, my lecturer, Malam I D Suleiman, told us that the capital city planners were wasting precious urban land resources by allocating large plots that could be prudently utilised. It is a common practice for the owners of these large plots that are only partly developed to subdivide the leftover undeveloped portions for sale or other uses. Yet the FCTA still unjustifiably allocates not only thousands of metre squares as plots, but also hectares within the city region.

It is, therefore, suggested that those that require the super sizes be shifted to areas farther from the city centre, even beyond Kuje where land is less expensive. This is what is in consonance with the relevant planning theories. The sizes of any new extension in the highbrow areas should be within 400m2 to a maximum of 800m2, the way is provided at Kubwa FO1 Layout.

Prototype designs of various categories of houses with wall to wall attachments to guide the implementation of the plan could be adopted. Perhaps instead of having for example only 400 plots with sizes between 1,000m2–3,000m2 in the newly planned areas of Maitama Extension we could have more than 1,000 plots. There will thus be more beneficiaries and easing of pressures from plot applicants.