SNOW TV NEWS DESK
The Nigerian Institute of Town Planners (NITP) has been urged to restore regional planning to the centre of its professional activities and reposition town planners as strategic contributors to Nigeria’s development.
Professor Adamu Ahmed made the call while presenting a lead paper titled “Physical Planning as the Driver of Regional Development” at the institute’s 2026 Annual General Meeting in Lagos.
Ahmed argued that regional development involves several interconnected sectors, including infrastructure, housing, agriculture, industry, economic growth, migration, and environmental management. He stressed that these activities require deliberate spatial coordination to prevent inequality, inefficiency, and unsustainable development.
He challenged the NITP to take the lead in shaping national discussions on spatial development, promoting effective regional strategies, engaging governments and development agencies, and strengthening the professional capacity of town planners.
According to him, physical planning should not be regarded as an obstacle to development but as an essential tool for making it more productive, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable.
Ahmed further emphasized that Nigeria needs more than the production of development plans. It must ensure that policies, investments, and regional development institutions operate within clear spatial strategies that recognize functional regions, coordinate infrastructure and economic activities, and address challenges beyond administrative boundaries.
He explained that physical planning provides the framework for determining where development should take place, how settlements and economic activities should relate, what infrastructure is required, and which environmental resources must be protected.
He urged town planners to move beyond regulating development towards actively shaping regional transformation, warning that Nigeria’s future regions would either develop through deliberate planning or be left to chance.
SNOW TV EDITORIAL ANALYSIS
Ahmed’s call highlights a critical weakness in Nigeria’s development approach: inadequate coordination between physical planning, infrastructure investment, and economic policies. Rapid urbanization, regional inequality, congestion, and environmental degradation demonstrate the consequences of poorly coordinated growth.
However, reclaiming regional planning requires more than professional advocacy. The NITP must strengthen its influence on public policy, promote practical planning solutions and hold relevant institutions accountable for implementation.
Ultimately, Nigeria needs planners who do not merely prepare development documents but translate them into measurable improvements in people’s lives. Regional planning must become a practical instrument of national development rather than remain largely an academic and professional aspiration.
“Sir Bartholomew White Ebe is a Lagos-based media personality, Music Artist, Producer, and a Relationship Coach and independent journalist. With over seven years of experience tracking political developments and cultural shifts in Nigeria, he specializes in local current affairs, grassroots politics, and community-driven reporting across Lagos State. As the founder and chief editor of Snow Multimedia Connect {SNOW TV}, he leads the editorial team to deliver verified, high-impact stories to digital audiences.”
Email: snowmediaconnect@gmail.com
