FUT Minna collaborates UN- Habitat on town planning

From Yakubu Mustapha,Minna

The Vice Chancellor of Federal University of Technology (FUT), Minna, Professor Musbau Akanji, has said that his University is in the process of finalizing a tripartite colloboration with UN-Habitat and Town Planning Registration Council of Nigeria.

He said this was aimed at modernizing Nigerian town planning, planning policy and development of curricula for training of town planners.

Prof. Akanji made the statement yesterday in Minna to mark this year’s World Urban Day Celebration with the theme: Voices From The Slums.

He said the aim of establishing the university was to promote synergy among the related government agencies and other stakeholders, particularly the slums residents.

He said, “Our hope and expectation is that this celebration will stimulate debates among the stakeholders aimed at moving the country forward toward making commitments to the creation of cities that are well planned, developed and managed for them to become the true engines of the economic growth of the country and to promote economically, socially and environmentally sustainable societies.

“As our contribution to building the required knowledge and skills to address the national urban development challenges, we are offering three Masters Degree programmes in Urban and Regional planning with specialization in engironmentalm impact assessment; urban governance and Housing and Urban renewal,” he stated.

In his address, Governor Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu’ said since coming to power in 2007 his administration had recorded a tremendous progress in physical planning and Urban development .

He said during his eight year administration a 500 units of houses was built both in M . I wushishi and Talba Housing Estates, dualization of some roads in Minna and host of many other projects.

The governor who was represented by the General Manager of Niger State Urban Development Board, Abdul Panti, said the state Geographic Information System had also been established as a new concept for effective land management and development planning.