Slums upgrade, urban renewal projects,  impactful on living conditions of people- Dangiwa 

…. advocates amendments to national urban planning

By AKOR SYLVESTER -Abuja

Minister of Housing and Urban Development Arc Ahmed Musa Dangiwa, has stated that slums upgrade and urban renewal projects have significant impact on the lives and living conditions of the people.

He listed housing upgrade, sanitation, environmental protection, agricultural support, boreholes and solar powered street lights among others, as projects that will enhance aesthetics and functional spaces, as well as impact the economy.

Dangiwa spoke when he hosted the House of Representatives Committee on Urban Development and Regional Planning who came on an oversight visit to the Ministry.

The minister, in his speech, advocated for constitutional amendment to ensure urban and regional planning is placed in the concurrent list of the constitution and also called for an enactment of a bill for the establishment of National Urban Observatory that would collect urban sector data in order to have effective implementation of urban and regional planning projects.

Dangiwa listed some of the challenges affecting effective implementation of urban development projects as; non availability of reliable human settlements data-store for planning purposes, and inadequate policy back-up and structure for country wide efforts to reposition urban planning and regional development sector, for the benefit of all.

The Minister explained some of the activities of the ministry’s department of urban development and regional planning which includes, Preparation of National Physical Development Plan, Preparation of Physical Development Plans, Preparation of Urban Resilience and Sustainability Plans.

He further stated that the department is also engaged in Urban Sector Multilateral programmes like; Executive Board Meetings of UN HABITAT, which Nigeria is currently holding the Chair of the Executive Board;  Shelter Afrique (A Pan- African finance)

Development Control Directorate, responsible for monitoring and control of development on Federal Government Lands and Estates;  Urban Renewal and Slum Upgrading Programme, under which technical needs assessment studies of Slums in Nigerian cities were conducted.

Earlier, the Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Urban Development and Regional Planning,  Honourable Abiante Awaji, said the Committee was in the ministry to fulfill it’s  critical part of it’s oversight mandate to assess performance, establish effective utilization of resources, identify challenges with a view to ensuring service delivery that would impact the lives of the Nigerian citizens.

In a statement signed by Badamasi Salisu Haiba, Director Information and Public Relations of the ministry, he stated that the Oversight Visit was in furtherance of Constitutional mandate of the legislative arm of the government overseeing activities of the executive arm.