By SUNDAY ABBA, Abuja
The Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) has urged stakeholders in the urban development sector to come up with an inclusive and sustainable policy document that would spur urban and settlement development in Nigeria.
Minister of State for Works and Housing Umar Ibrahim El-Yakub made the call Tuesday while declaring open the National Validation Workshop on the revised 2012 National Urban Development Policy held in Abuja.
He stated that his personal assessment and the briefing he has received showed that the 2012 policy did not deliver adequately on its goals and objectives, adding that the reasons for the unfortunate result of the past have been carefully identified and address in the fresh attempt.
The minister who was presented by TPL Dinmaye Olasunkarim, said that he was optimist and believe “that we are on the path of to transforming Nigeria’s human settlements sector into a potent driver of overall national development”, adding that Nigeria will be great again.
“As I mentioned earlier, the central interest of Federal Ministry Of Works and Housing is to use this workshop to perfect all necessary stakeholders engagements and obtain final feedback from all cherished and interest groups in this sub sector. I’m convinced that you will bring your various technical expertise and experience to bear in this all important validation effort.
“At the end of the workshop we hope that you shall present us with a policy document that would spur urban and settlement development that is inclusive, safe resilient and sustainable in Nigeria,” he said.
Speaking earlier, the chairperson of the UN-Habitat, Amb Akin Oyateru, while presenting the UN-Habitat statement said that UN-Habitat, through its office in Nigeria, stand ready to engage and support Nigeria in her journey towards better urban future for all Nigerians.
In his goodwill message, the National president of the Nigerian Institute of Town Planners, Nathaniel Atebije, noted that it is common knowledge that urban areas are the engines of growth and development of nations.
“They play enormous roles in the social and economic development of nations, hence if their patterns, components and contents are not carefully conceived, professionally organised through designs and articulated with legal, administrative and technical structures to guide and control developments, the chaos and confusion that would ensue would rub on all aspects of settlement fabric,” he said.
He noted that the national urban policy provides the platform for reasserting urban space and territoriality. It is vital providing the needed direction and course of action to support urban development.
He said, “With policy, avenue is provided to manage pressures in the urban space such as slum prevention and regulation, access to land, basic services to infrastructure, urban legislation, delegation of authority to sub-national and local governments, financial flows, urban planning regulations, urban mobility and urban energy requirements as well as job creation.”