The Nigerian Institute of Town Planners have bemoaned the poor state of human settlements and communities in the country.
The institute made its position known through it’s president, Nathaniel Atebije who reiterated the importance of adhering to sustainable development goals, warning of the dangers of living in environments lacking basic amenities.
Addressing the press in Abuja, Atebije asserted “In terms of sustainability of our human settlements and communities, we seem to have lost a grip of the Sustainable Development Goals.
“Being faced with rapid urbanization in major urban centers, which are characterized by overstretched and inadequate infrastructure, weak institutional capacity to tackle environmental challenges of housing shortage and proliferation of slums or informal settlements, economic glitches, as well as land administration problems, Nigerians have been compelled to live below acceptable standards of livability and sustainability. The pains here cannot be hidden; they are massively dotted all over the place,” he said.
Speaking on the way forward, Atebije urged the government to partner with urban and regional planners to create and implement development plans that serve the needs of all citizens.
“As an institute, we recognize the dictum of “No pain, no gain”, and it is in light of this statement that we believe in patience and forbearance that will lead to meaningful progress, which will come gradually.
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“Consequently, we call, once again on the Federal Government, all State Governments and the Federal Capital Territory Administration to faithfully commit to preparation and implementation of physical development plans from the highest order to the lowest order to make implementation possible and meaningful.
“Physical planning is not done in the head of any chief executive, it is done by qualified urban and regional planners who are available to contribute to the development of our dear nation.”