The Federal Government has blamed most states for the rising trend of unplanned city expansion, informal settlements, and poor urban management across Nigeria.
It said the problem stems from their failure to domesticate the Urban and Regional Planning Law (Decree 88 of 1992, Cap. 138 LFN 2004) more than 30 years after its passage.
The Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Arc. Ahmed Musa Dangiwa, made this known while speaking at the National Colloquium on the Implementation of the Urban and Regional Planning Law, organised by the Nigerian Institute of Town Planners (NITP) in Abuja, according to the Ministry’s statement.
Dangiwa lamented that only two states, including Katsina, have adopted and implemented the 1992 law, describing the lack of domestication as a major setback to Nigeria’s pursuit of orderly and sustainable urban growth.
He said the impact of this failure is visible in the uncoordinated expansion of cities, proliferation of informal settlements, and the growing gap between planning ideals and urban realities.
“The Honourable Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Arc. Ahmed Musa Dangiwa, FNIA, FCIB, has decried the failure of most States to adopt and implement the Urban and Regional Planning Law (Decree 88 of 1992, Cap. 138 LFN 2004) more than 30 years after its passage, calling it a major setback to Nigeria’s quest for orderly and sustainable urban growth,” the statement read in part.
It further quoted Dangiwa as saying, “It is regrettable that more than three decades after the promulgation of this progressive law, only two States, including my home State of Katsina, have adopted and operationalised it. This has contributed to the uncoordinated growth of our cities, the proliferation of informal settlements, and widening gaps between planning ideals and urban realities.”
According to him, the 1992 Urban and Regional Planning Law was designed to replace the outdated 1946 Town and Country Planning Law, providing a unified framework for land use and physical development across all tiers of government.
However, he noted that weak institutions, inadequate manpower, poor intergovernmental coordination, and low public awareness have hindered its implementation.
More insights
Dangiwa further explained that the realities of rapid urbanisation, climate change, and technological advancements have outpaced the provisions of the three-decade-old law, making its review and update urgent and necessary.
- The Minister said the Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development is working to modernise and ensure nationwide adoption of the legislation to align with contemporary planning standards and global best practices.
- He added that the Ministry has completed the review of the National Urban Development Policy, already approved by the Federal Executive Council (FEC), and is finalising the National Physical Planning Standards as well as the National Policy on Rural Settlements Planning and Development to promote balanced regional growth and reduce rural-urban migration pressures.
Dangiwa also cited the Renewed Hope Housing Programme as a practical demonstration of how effective planning supports sustainable and inclusive communities, noting that each housing project reflects proper spatial and environmental considerations.
