By Angela Atabo
The Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development and the Nigerian Institute of Town Planners (NITP) have raised concerns over the lack of full implementation and domestication of the 1992 Urban and Regional Planning (URP) Law.
They said this at the National Colloquium on the Implementation of the Urban and Regional Planning (URP) Law,organised by the Nigerian Institute of Town Planners (NITP) in Abuja on Monday.
They said that the URP law, officially codified as CAP 138 of the Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, had suffered setback due to non domestication by states.
The Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Ahmed Dangiwa, recalled that the law was a bold reform designed to replace the outdated 1946 Town and Country Planning Law, a colonial relic that had become inadequate for a rapidly urbanising nation.
“The 1992 Law was conceived to provide a comprehensive framework for the orderly use and development of land across all tiers of government.
“It sought to ensure coordination in physical planning and promote the creation of functional, efficient, and livable human settlements across Nigeria.”
The minister said in spite of its ambitious objectives, the full potential of the landmark legislation has yet to be realised for over three decades.
“Many states and local governments have not domesticated or operationalised the law’s provisions, resulting in uncoordinated urban growth, proliferation of informal settlements, and inadequate infrastructure.
“Some states have not even enacted the enabling laws necessary to activate the institutional framework envisaged by the URP Law,” he noted.
“Others grapple with weak institutional capacity, inadequate technical manpower, and poor coordination among government agencies.”
Dangiwa said that limited public awareness, weak development control mechanisms, and the evolving realities of urbanisation, climate change, and technology have further underscored the urgent need to update and adapt the 1992 legislation to contemporary challenges.
He said that under the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu, the Ministry is working to reinvigorate urban and regional planning as an integral component of national development.
He called on all stakeholders, policymakers, professionals, and citizens to renew their commitment to structured urban growth and the enforcement of planning regulations as tools for order, productivity, and resilience.
Also Speaking, Gov. Dikko Radda of Katsina State, revealed that Katsina State was among the few states that have fully implemented the provisions of the Law, adding tha it helped to establish a transparent, structured, and accountable planning system in the state.
Radda represented by his Deputy, Malam Faruk Jobe, disclosed that in the administration’s first year, about N1 billion was invested in re-equipping the state’s Urban and Regional Planning Board with modern tools to ensure effective development control and enforcement.
He announced that revised master plans for Katsina, Funtua, and Daura which had remained unchanged for over two decades were recently completed and four additional cities were expected to receive new master plans by 2026.
According to him, the state government is investing over N72 billion in comprehensive urban renewal projects aimed at upgrading road infrastructure, revitalising aging neighborhoods, and stimulating balanced economic growth in the state capital.
The governor urged states to domesticate the law emphasising to the need for stronger institutions, sustained professionalism, and practical outcomes from the colloquium.
“The framework already exists. What we need now is unwavering consistency in implementation and stronger institutional backing,” he said.
The President of NITP, Dr Ogbonna Chime, called on all tiers of government to fully implement the provisions of the 1992 URP Law (CAP 138, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004) to ensure sustainable national development, efficient resource management, and orderly growth of Nigerian settlements.
“The Institute is concerned about the implementation of the Law because of the far-reaching implications of non-adherence to its provisions on national development planning and efficient resource management,”he said
He explained that many levels of government were yet to domesticate or operationalise its key provisions thereby contributing to persistent challenges such as unregulated urban expansion, inadequate infrastructure, poor land-use planning, and environmental degradation.
“All levels of government should play their constitutional roles effectively through mutual cooperation.
“Development experts now recognise that the daunting challenges of delivering the dividends of democracy can only be overcome through partnership and stakeholder collaboration.”
Chime lauded state governments that have begun reviewing their urban and regional planning laws in line with federal expectations, urging others to follow suit.
He therefore, expressed optimism that the deliberations would “usher in a new dawn in national development planning,” reinforcing the importance of effective urban governance as a catalyst for Nigeria’s economic transformation.(NAN)
Edited by Deji Abdulwahab
