Town planner urges eastern governors to enforce planning laws, curb unregulated development

Chairman Urges Strengthening of Town Planning Laws in Eastern Region

Ayi E. Akiba, Chairman of the Eastern Planners Forum (EPF), has called on governors in the Eastern region to enhance town planning laws and enforce existing regulations to address haphazard property development.

Akiba issued this plea while commemorating World Town Planning Day, observed annually on November 8. He cautioned that unregulated development could exacerbate housing shortages, environmental issues, and infrastructure challenges throughout the region.

“Sustainable communities can only emerge through deliberate planning, collective commitment, and effective implementation of development policies,” Akiba stated. He emphasized that successful communities are the result of intentional efforts rather than random occurrences.

The EPF chairman highlighted several significant challenges facing communities in the Eastern region, including a growing housing deficit, the proliferation of informal settlements, aging infrastructure, limited access to basic services, climate-related vulnerabilities, and rising social inequalities.

He noted that settlements in the Eastern region are experiencing increasing development pressures, altering land-use patterns, and facing rising demands for housing. Akiba urged state governments to prioritize affordable and decent housing, while also strengthening measures to combat recurring issues such as windstorms, landslides, gully erosion, and flooding.

According to Akiba, the evaluation of housing development should extend beyond the sheer number of buildings constructed. Factors such as affordability, accessibility, security of tenure, proximity to employment opportunities, and availability of basic infrastructure must also be considered.

While acknowledging ongoing infrastructure projects such as the East-West Road, Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, and various mass housing schemes, Akiba warned that their success hinges on proper integration with sound planning and effective urban governance.

He also called for the early involvement of qualified town planners in development projects and advocated for the adoption of modern technologies, including Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Artificial Intelligence (AI), remote sensing, and digital mapping. Additionally, he emphasized the importance of digitizing town planning offices and recruiting young graduate planners to address current and future challenges.

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