Dealing with challenges of urbanisation, slum devt for liveable cities growth
In Nigeria and, indeed, the rest of Africa, the growth of cities is quite observable but not without challenges and barriers to making them liveable unlike other parts of the world where similar developments are assets that add value to life and generally make for good living.
In this part of the world, multiple human settlement challenges manifesting in uncontrollable urbanization, slum development, poor access to land, transportation, lack of utilities and services, urban recreation spaces, informal development etc are raising concerns among town planners, planning consultants, and other stakeholders in the nation’s built environment.
Arising from these concerns, urban and regional planning experts at a forum in Lagos noted that the emergence of liveable cities in Nigeria is hampered by not just human activities but also non-compliance to policy regulations.
According to them, “cities are not products of a chess game, but of careful and systematic planning”. They cited Lekki Peninsula, a sprawling upscale settlement in Lagos, as an instance of a place where opportunity to develop a liveable city has been lost to human action.
Examining the development processes in the peninsula, the experts pointed out that the planning authority’s demand for, and insistence on approved layout as a pre-condition for building plan approval was a major drawback to the emergence of the peninsula as a great city.
Lekki, a predominantly residential haven in Lagos is adjudged the fastest growing city in Nigeria today which, only a few years ago, was a large virgin land that provided ample opportunity for the development of a beautiful city.
The demand for approved layout prior to building plan approval creates problems in this emerging , leading to indolence on one hand and needless work pressure on the other among planning authorities and workforce just as it fosters an atmosphere of corruption, loss of revenue, potential needless cost to the state in its financial, social-economic and political disposition.
This practice has its implications including limited access to developable land, increased land cost, curtailment of development activities just as it also impacts on corporate bottom line, local, state and national economies, employment creation, and on housing stock.
The experts contended that layout as condition precedent to granting excision, and requirement of layout for one hectare + parcel should continue. They noted that in built area and already excised parcel, government should not only lead, but also use planning consultants to complement the efforts of its officials.
Over all, acceptance of developments in Lekki Peninsula will guarantee coordinated direction of physical growth and development and avoid emergence of slums and clumsy environment in that region of Lagos. Estate developers, as stakeholders in physical development and housing provision, should always be ready to comply with international standards, best practices and existing relevant provisions of the Lagos State Urban Planning and Development Law that promote and project Lagos as a real Mega City competing with other Mega Cities.