Town planners driving force behind dev’t of Abuja city – says FCDA boss

By Stanley Onyekwere

Town Planners have been identified as the driving force behind the progressing sustainable urban development and inclusive growth of Abuja city, given the critical role that town planning plays in shaping the development of the city.
The Executive Secretary, Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA), Engr. Shehu Hadi made this assertion yesterday, at the 2023 Town Planners Day, themed: “Strategies for Implementation of Physical Development Plans In the FCT”, organised by the Nigerian Institute of Town Planners (NITP), FCT Chapter.
In his address, as the chairman of this year’s celebration of town planners Day, Hadi noted that Town Planners and other professionals in the built environment holds a crucial piece of the puzzle, and it is by weaving these pieces together that we can construct a vibrant tapestry that reflects the dreams and aspirations of every resident of Abuja.
He noted that Abuja as a city of hope in the face of economic and security challenges in the region has witnessed immense immigration and rapid urbanization in the past years.
Represented by by Director, FCT Urban and Regional Planning Dept, TPL Yahaya Abubakar, the FCDA boss added that Abuja, as the political and administrative centre of Nigeria, holds immense potential and opportunities for all its inhabitants, but has unique challenges that accompany rapid urbanization and population growth.
According to him, the focus for today’s celebration, which revolves around two themes: “Funding Strategies for the Implementation of Physical Development Plan” and the “Significance of Synergy amongst Stakeholders” is very apt and critical to Abuja’s journey towards a more prosperous and sustainable city.
“As we dive into discussions and deliberations on these topics, let us remind ourselves that successful urban planning is not merely a product of policies and strategies, it is an outcome of unity, collaboration, and a shared vision for the future.
“The FCT Administration has been working tremendously in Collaborative Planning by operating a roundtable of all-inclusive relevant stakeholders, local communities (indigenes), Government Agencies, NGOs, Professional bodies, and Developers, from the early stages of planning so as to ensure diverse perspectives are considered. This leads to more achievable realistic development plans by applying the Bottom-Top approach of involving end users in decision-making.
“The Administration has been holding several public engagement forums for years to get feedback and address concerns since engaged communities are more likely to support and take ownership of the developmental plans. Examples are several meetings on the Resettlement of various displaced indigenes within the FCT (Nyanya, Wasa, Dobi and Shere-Galuwyi) resettlement schemes.
“The Administration has been pursuing these and other collaborative strategies, to
make stakeholders synergize and collectively work towards achieving quality and realistic physical development plans that benefit the community and the environment at globally acceptable standards. The Administration will try and exert more efforts in actualizing a cordial relationship among stakeholders in FCT.
“I urge all participants to engage in open and constructive dialogue and share insights and experiences. Let us draw inspiration from past successes while embracing innovation and adaptive approaches to tackle the challenges that lie ahead”, he stressed.
Also speaking, the National President of the NITP, Tpl. Nathaniel Atebije, said the theme chosen for this year’s event holds immense relevance in our ongoing efforts to create sustainable, well-planned, and resilient urban spaces.
Atebije advised members of the institute to make the best out of the meeting beyond mere annual ritual to seeing it as a platform for deep professional interaction and conversations on matters which are not only contemporary but bankable in concept and content.
He said: “Policies, programmes and plans are reduced to ordinary story books when they are not implemented. Implementation becomes an uphill task when they are not strategic. This has been the bane of planning and implementation in Nigeria.
“In some cases, plans seem to have utopian ideals, hence they do not respond to the immediate circumstances of their target beneficiaries. At other times, our strategies do not consider our strength of technology, nor funding possibilities, political will, manpower requirements and other critical factors.
“As professionals, we forget that times have gone by when we planned for the people; and the current direction is to plan with the people thereby encouraging inclusiveness. As beneficiaries buy into our plans from the period of conception and they participate in the process through detailing, they would naturally contribute in the realization of the plan.”
Earlier, the Chairman of the FCT chapter of the NITP, Lami Ayuba, noted that the FCT serves as a focal point for urban development in Nigeria therefore, “the effective implementation of physical development plans is pivotal in ensuring that we build communities that are not only functional but also aesthetically pleasing and conducive to the well-being of our citizens.”