The Surveyor-General of the Federation, Mr Abdulganiyu Adwomen, has disclosed that the country’s capital city, Abuja, is fast turning into a slum.
Adwomen stated this at a stakeholders meeting organised by the House of Representatives Committee on Urban Development and Regional Planning in Abuja on Tuesday.
- “Abuja is fast turning into a slum and you may need to talk to those in charge. If we are losing it so fast in Lagos, Abuja should not be allowed to toe that path,’’ the Surveyor-General stated.
He said that the ugly trend of residents of Abuja refusing to adhere to the town planning laws of the FCT must be addressed.
Adwomen urged the relevant authorities to ensure that residents of the capital city comply with set town planning regulations.
- ‘’When we go outside the country, you see us obeying the rules just to run away from fines, but as soon as we return, we disobey them with reckless abandonment.
- “We have to look at the issue of compliance; who are those in charge of compliance,’’ Adwomen said.
More Insights
In his remarks, Rep. Awaji-Inombek Abiante, who serves as the Chairman of the HoR Committee on Urban Development and Regional Planning stressed that Nigeria must plan to ensure adequate infrastructure is put in place to meet up with rapid urbanization.
- ‘’This is about the vast opportunities that Nigerian cities have for accelerated national transformation through the building of integrated and productive communities.
- “We cannot maximize the opportunities for sustained transformation in our cities if the fundamentals are not addressed,’’ he said.
Furthermore, Abiante stressed that the urban poor and vulnerable groups in Nigerian cities require more care and attention than they are currently getting.
He noted that the provision of affordable housing and social amenities for the vulnerable population in the cities would improve their quality of life.
Nigeria is fast turning into one giant slum. Lagos (outside of Ikoyi and parts of VI) is already there!