NIGERIAN INSTITUTE OF TOWN PLANNERS WORKSHOP ON THE REVIEW OF THE DRAFT REPORT ON THE STATE OF URBAN AND REGIONAL PLANNING IN NIGERIA 7th and 8th December 2011 Gubabi Royal Hotel, Plot 2359 Sokode Crescent, Wuse Zone 5, Abuja Sourcing Fund for Urban Planning and implementation By TPL, Dr, Abubakar Sadiq Sani, MNITP

Contents 1. Introduction. 2. The role of Urban Planner in City Development. 3. The Problems. 4. Can Urban Planning become affordable for all. 5. User friendly role of urban planning for political will and better funding. 6. Conclusion

1. Introduction 1. Importance of Urban Planning. A) Creates vision, Priorities and vulnerabilities. B) Cities become engines of national growth. C) Cities become crucibles of cultural fusion. D) Cities become centres of civilisation, rule of law, peace and harmony. E) Cities become point of attraction to rural dwellers. F) Create value for land and is resources. G) Contribute to the nations GDP. 2. Despite these importance Urban Planning is suffering from: A) Our cities have no vision and focus. B) Infrastructures (Schools, Hospitals, Roads, Electricity supply, Water supply etc) are decaying. C) People are fighting on simple provocation. D) There is no sympathy by the people and governments for Urban Planning. E) Government budgetary allocation for Urban Planning is always 10T.

2. The role of urban planner in city development. 1. Conservative. A) Environmental Hygiene. B) No stakeholders interest. C) No or obsolete planning tools. D) No linkages between Planning – implementation – monitoring – Review. E) Treat only symptoms of urbanisation but not the cause. 2. Advocacy. A) User friendly B) Stakeholders consultation on all tasks of planning process. C) Deals directly with the low-income and vulnerable groups. D) Flexibility in the use of standards and ethics. 3. Moderate. A) Stakeholders consultations in some tasks of the planning process. B) Maintain professional standards and ethics, E) Environmental/social impact assessment’ F) Computer gaming and simulation.

3. The Problems 1. Master/structure plans. A) Based on formal urban income indicators and foreign standards. B) Expensive, takes long period of time and involve large team of professionals. C) The planners have no control over other agencies in implementing the master plan. D) Does not take account of implementing realities. E) Can not be implemented. F) No impact on the urban poor G) No appreciation or sympathy from the people and governments.

4. Can Urban Planning become affordable for all? The process should mobilise civil society and political organizations in the definition of the vision (“the city we want”) and priority areas (“hotspots”) through popular consultations; In terms of product, it would usually prioritise infrastructure development with emphasis on primary road and water networks and on pricing and municipal finance; Implementation should include a strong component on institutional strengthening, particularly at the local government level; The strategy should preferably be associated with a review/reform of urban governance legislation, rules and practices. Of course minimal planning requires maximum political commitment to ensure impact and sustainability. With such commitment, urban planning can certainly become affordable and useful.

5. User friendly role of urban planning for political will and better funding. The practice of Urban and Regional Planning needs drastic restructuring to conform to the reality and become user friendly. * more general skills and activities are needed. * City residents have become more sophisticated in pursuing their special interests. They are better informed, understand laws and procedures have greater political skills and are more militant and persistent. * They have learned that urban planning brings order to change and, thus, they want to influence the planning process. * Many of the ills of urbanization have been conveniently dropped upon the doorstep of urban planners. * Planners’ advice may be good or bad, taken or ignored. * Planners does not have adequate training. * Politicians have a distorted sense of the public interest. * Plans may be unrealistic, given their resource requirements. * Powerful economic interests may feel threatened by planning recommendations. * Plans may not reflect the priorities of community groups or business interests. * Implementation authority may be fragmented among jurisdictions. In trying to correct these deficiencies planning has opened itself to * Public participation. * More realistic view of stakeholder interests. Advocacy work. * setting social priorities. * Environmental impact analyses. Multi-jurisdictional management and other areas where consensus signals good governance at work.

6. Conclusion Urban planning creates value for city development and ensure peace and harmony between people and land uses, but because of the conservative role of the practice in Nigeria, the profession is isolated, thereby limiting the contribution of the practice in Nigeria. The practice must be user friendly, accommodate the views of all stakeholders, build the capacities of institutions responsible and maintain the linkages between data collection, data analysis, planning, monitoring and review. The practice must be allowed to follow the circular nature of planning process, thereby maintaining its self correcting and dynamism nature. Only then will people and Governments will appreciate Urban Planners in their quest for funding and political will necessary to perform.