Nigeria At 66: THE STATE OF HOUSING, WATER AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT

By Kehinde Opeifa (Property Correspondent)

Nigeria's population has urbanised rapidly.
Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Kano, Ibadan, Enugu, Onitsha, Benin City and other cities have expanded dramatically.

But urban planning has often lagged behind population growth. The consequences are visible: informal settlements; traffic congestion; inadequate drainage; flooding;
poor waste management; housing shortages; inadequate public transport;
insufficient water supply; and overstretched infrastructure.

After 66 years of Nigeria's independence, the country's housing policy must move away from isolated government estates towards integrated urban planning. A modern Nigerian city requires housing, transport, water, sanitation, electricity, schools, healthcare and employment within a coherent spatial plan. NNL.