Nigeria can use its town planning practice and guidelines as catalysts for the achievement of sustainable development and prosperity.
Chairman, Nigeria Economic Summit Group (NESG), Mr. Niyi Yusuf, said with the complexities of rapid urbanisation, infrastructural deficits and sustainability, there is a need for town planning practices that not only address existing challenges but also look beyond to emerging future trends.
Yusuf was the Guest Speaker at the 11th edition of the Waheed Kadiri Lecture Series organised by the Nigerian Institute of Town Planners (NITP), Ogun State Chapter. He spoke on: Global Trends – Reimagining Cities for Sustainable Development and Shared Prosperity.
He noted that cities, the vibrant epicentres of human activities and the beating hearts of civilisation, were undergoing unprecedented transformations fuelled by powerful global trends.
According to him, the forces behind the transformations—ranging from rapid technological advancements to climate change and shifting societal dynamics—offer immense opportunities for growth and innovation, yet, they also amplify the challenges that demand continuous evolution of town planning.
“You are already well-acquainted with the complexities of managing rapid urbanisation, addressing infrastructural deficits -road, housing, transportation, water, telecoms, electricity and security, as well as promoting sustainability. However, the global trends we will explore today go beyond these immediate concerns. They will redefine the very essence of urban living, challenging us to reimagine our roles, embrace innovative tools, and adopt forward-thinking approaches.
“As we navigate these transformative times, remember that your work is pivotal not only to the cities of today but to the generations that will inhabit them tomorrow. You must have a strong sense of accountability to preserve our heritage while embracing the infinite possibilities of the future, by creating resilient, inclusive, and visionary urban landscapes,” Yusuf said.
He outlined that town planning could be used to accelerate the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), a set of 17 goals adopted in 2015 by the United Nations to transform the world.
He noted that from the first goal of poverty elimination by 2030, town planning can help by strategically designing cities to provide better access to essential services like healthcare, education, public transportation, water and sanitation, renewable energy, affordable housing, and green spaces, which can significantly improve the quality of life for marginalised communities and create a more equitable distribution of resources across urban areas.
According to him, by prioritizing mixed-use development, creating walkable neighborhoods, and incorporating sustainable infrastructure that supports economic growth and community resilience, town planning can drive efforts to eradicate poverty.
“The second goal aims to end hunger and achieve food security and improved nutrition by 2030. Nigeria continues to suffer from food insecurity with a deepening hunger crisis putting over 33 million people at risk in 2025.
“Town planning must enable agriculture, transport corridors, processing zones and industrial areas by strategically designing urban spaces to promote sustainable food production, improve access to food markets, facilitate efficient food distribution networks, and encourage community-based initiatives for growing food within urban areas, ultimately enhancing food security for residents.
“The third goal focuses on ensuring healthy lives and well-being for people of all ages. Life expectancy in Nigeria is low at 62.2 years and access to health insurance is poor with about 20m persons enrolled.
“Town planning and urban renewal must prioritise people’s health and wellbeing by designing urban environments to facilitate access to healthcare facilities, promote active transportation like walking and cycling, provide green spaces for recreation, ensure adequate sanitation and clean water supply, promoting affordable housing with adequate ventilation and natural light for improved indoor air quality and encourage social interaction and community building while mitigating environmental hazards like air pollution.
“The fourth goal is to ensure that all people have access to quality education and lifelong learning opportunities. Nigeria has more than 10 million children out of school and adult literacy was 63 per cent in 2021 compared to 97 per cent in China.
“Town planning must cater for inclusive access to educational facilities in addition to encouraging students of town planning to do field visits to diverse habitats in both urban and rural environments,” Yusuf, who is also Managing Partner of Verraki Partners, said.
According to him, town planning can help in achieving the fifth goal of gender equality by designing public spaces that are safe and accessible for women and girls, considering their specific needs; integrating gender-sensitive infrastructure like lighting and public toilets; ensuring proximity to essential services like healthcare, education, markets, public transportation; and actively engaging women in the planning process to address their concerns and priorities.
He added that by implementing zoning regulations that promote mixed-use development to facilitate women’s access to work and services, placing public spaces in visible areas with surveillance options, and addressing issues related to women’s land ownership to empower their participation in development, town planners can be major agents for sustainable development.
On the area of access to clean water and sanitation, the sixth SDG goal, Yusuf said town planners can design urban spaces to optimise water infrastructure, incorporate rainwater harvesting systems, prioritize accessible sanitation facilities, and consider community needs when developing new neighborhoods, thus ensuring equitable access to clean water and proper sanitation for all residents, especially in rapidly growing urban areas.
He added that town planning must also design efficient water distribution and piping networks that reach all areas of a city, including marginalised communities, to minimise water loss and ensure equitable access.
According to him, town planning can promote greywater recycling by designing systems to reuse treated wastewater for non-potable uses like irrigation to reduce overall water demand and incorporate robust sewage collection systems to prevent contamination of water sources and promote proper sanitation.
“The seventh goal is to ensure that everyone has access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy. As of 2022, 60.5 per cent of Nigeria’s population had access to electricity. However, access to electricity is uneven across the country, with rural areas having the lowest access.
“Town planning must integrate renewable energy sources like solar into urban design, facilitating infrastructure development for efficient energy distribution and promoting energy-efficient building practices like natural lighting, ultimately making clean energy more accessible and cost-effective for communities.
“The eighth goal is to promote inclusive and sustainable economic growth by providing decent work for all. According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) as at first quarter of 2024, 84 per cent of Nigeria’s working-class population is self-employed and 92.7 per cent of the employed population are working in the informal sector including jobs that are not regulated by formal labour laws and that lack social protection.
“Town planners must design urban spaces that facilitate access to employment opportunities, encourage business development, provide adequate infrastructure, and prioritize inclusive development, thereby creating a conducive environment for both workers and businesses to thrive.
“Practices such as zoning areas for mixed-use development to facilitate proximity between residential areas and employment hubs, reducing commuting time and costs; locating industrial zones with necessary infrastructure like transportation networks to support efficient logistics and market access; designing pedestrian-friendly areas within commercial districts to promote local businesses and economic activity; investing in public transportation systems to connect different parts of the city and improve worker mobility; and designing affordable housing options near employment centers to improve accessibility for low-income populations.
“The ninth goal is to build resilient infrastructure, promote sustainable industrialisation, and foster innovation. Nigeria’s infrastructure stock is estimated to be 30 per cent of its GDP, which is below the World Bank’s international benchmark of 70 per cent. The World Bank estimates that Nigeria will need to invest $3 trillion over the next 30 years to address this infrastructure gap.
“Land use and town planning must design urban spaces to include green spaces, industrial zones, innovation clusters, smart city technologies, green infrastructure, pedestrian friendly zones and integrated transportation networks to facilitate economic growth, attract investment, foster collaboration between businesses and research institutions, thus creating environments conducive to innovation and industrial development.
“The tenth goal is to reduce inequalities within and among countries. This includes reducing inequalities in income, age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion, and economic or other status. There is high income inequality-Gini index of 0.49 in Nigeria with the income of the top one per cent of the population being 37 times higher than the income of the bottom 50 per cent. The Lagos State Special Peoples’ Law (SPL) of 2011 protects the rights of people with disabilities in the State. The law provides for the provision of facilities at public buildings and prohibits discrimination and harmful treatment of people with disabilities in all aspects of life including health, education, work, and communication. The law encourages the government to promote the participation of people with disabilities in public life and politics.
“Town planners must design cities to ensure equitable access to basic services like housing, transportation, healthcare, and education, particularly in marginalized areas, through initiatives like inclusive land use planning, developing mixed-income neighbourhoods, prioritizing public transportation, and integrating informal settlements into the urban fabric, ultimately creating more equitable and accessible urban environments for all residents.
“The eleventh goal is to promote practices that will make cities and human settlements more inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable. A sustainable city is a city that is designed to reduce its environmental impact while also improving the quality of life for its residents. Sustainable cities are built on the principles of ecology, education, and equality. Lagos is ranked 170th out of 173 cities in the EIU’s livability index.
“Town planners must actively manage land use, prioritizing efficient public transportation systems, incorporating green spaces, promoting energy-efficient building practices, actively engaging communities in the planning process, and developing climate-resilient infrastructure, all while ensuring equitable access to services and amenities for all residents. We must design and implement building codes that promote energy efficiency, water conservation, waste management and sustainable construction materials,” Yusuf said.
Under the 12th goal that seeks to promote responsible use of natural resources, some of whom are endangered and non-replaceable, the NESG Chairman said with Nigeria’s high rate of deforestation, town planning must design urban spaces to encourage efficient resource use, mixed use development and energy efficient building codes.
He called for planning practices that prioritize walking and cycling, incorporate green infrastructure, promote local materials, implement waste management systems, educate communities about sustainable practices, and facilitate access to renewable energy sources, all while fostering collaboration with local stakeholders to tailor solutions to specific needs.
On climate action, the 13th goal, he underscored the importance of taking actions to protect and preserve the climate, noting that the 2022 floods in Nigeria affected 33 states and many parts of the country, displaced over 1.4 million people, killed over 603 people, and injured more than 2,400 people.
According to him, town planning must design urban spaces to manage floods, droughts, heatwaves, erosion and extreme weather events, through measures to manage flood plains, incorporating green infrastructure like parks and open spaces to enhance quality of life and promote healthy living, planning for sustainable transportation options like cycling and walking paths to mitigate environmental impacts and designing energy-efficient buildings to reduce carbon footprint and operational costs.
Said he: “The 14th goal is to conserve and use the oceans, seas, and marine resources in a sustainable way. Oil spills and plastic waste have ravaged our coastal areas. Nigeria generates about 2.5 million tonnes of plastic waste annually. Shell in 2021 reported 3,300 tonnes of crude oil spills in Nigeria caused by sabotage, which was more than double the volume in 2020.
“Town planning must design urban spaces to promote efficient water resources, conserve coastal and marine areas, and to protect and restore marine ecosystems.
“The 15th goal is to protect and restore life on land. Nigeria is challenged by desertification in the north and erosion in the south, with some animal species such as the West African Lion, and the Western Gorilla been listed as a critically endangered species due to human activities.
“Town planning must manage land use to ensure sustainable development, including protecting natural ecosystems, promoting access to essential services like water and sanitation, creating resilient communities against climate change, integrating agriculture with urban areas, and actively engaging local communities in the planning process, all while respecting existing land tenure systems and cultural practices.
“The 16th goal is about promoting peaceful and inclusive societies, providing access to justice for all and building effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels. For over a decade, we have witnessed insecurity, terrorism, banditry and social strife in all 6 regions of the nation. According to SBM Intel, no fewer than 7,568 people were abducted in 1,130 incidents across the country between July 2023 and June 2024. Town planners must design urban environments to provide infrastructure to all residents including marginalized communities to promote social cohesion and peaceful society.
“The seventeenth goal is to strengthen the global partnership for sustainable development and improve the means of implementation. Nigeria has enjoyed technical and financial support from Global Foundations, UN Agencies and other multi-lateral institutions to improve sustainable development across the country. Town planners have a role to play and must partner with others for us to achieve all the 17 SDGs”.
Yusuf pointed out that the SDGs are a call to action to end poverty, protect the planet, and to make cities and human settlements more inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable.
According to him, while some may see some of the goals as directly impacting town planning, reality is that the 17 SDGs are integrated and action in one area will affect outcomes in others, and as such, development must balance social, economic and environmental sustainability.
“Sadly, 10 years after its launch, and 6 years to the end date of 2030, the world is far from realising the 17 SDGs. The 2024 assessment by the UNDP, ECA, and AfDB reveals that only six per cent of the 32 measurable SDG targets reviewed for Africa are on track to be achieved by 2030. Nigeria is on track to achieve only one-birth registration of the 231 unique indicators of the SDGs by 2030. The United Nations (UN) estimates that annual investment of between $5 and $7 trillion is required to achieve the SDGs. This includes investments in infrastructure, water and sanitation, clean energy, and agriculture. Adapting to climate change in developing countries is estimated to cost between $160 and $340 billion annually by 2030. This is the dimension of the SDG challenge before us and of which town planners can be an integral part of the solution,” Yusuf concluded.
He called on town planners to rise above just designers of physical spaces to being visionaries who shape the future of cities.
“Your role goes far beyond planning and building structures. You must continue to balance the intricate interplay of social, cultural, economic, environmental, and technological factors to create environments that are not only functional but also harmonious and sustainable. You must plan and design livable spaces that support community well-being, foster economic growth, and promote inclusivity.
“You have a big role to play in ensuring that urban development supports the needs of today and is sustainable and resilient for future generations. The decisions you make today will have a lasting impact, shaping the way cities evolve, grow, and thrive. In essence, you are the real guardian of the galaxies, the custodians of the future and your work is essential to planning more sustainable cities for all – tomorrow’s urban landscapes – where human and economic development thrives in harmony with nature,” Yusuf said.
He commended the NITP for sustaining the lecture series, describing the annual event as a worthy celebration of the TPL Waheed Kadiri, not only for his relentless contributions to the progress of physical planning profession in Nigeria but his immense contributions to humanity.
