Lagos Moves To Halt Urbanisation

The New Towns Development Authority, NTDA, a parastatal of the Lagos State Government has expressed the determination of the government to arrest rural-urban drift caused by industrialisation and modernisation.

The General Manager, NTDA, Dr. Adeyemi Isiba, who made this known when a delegation of the French Development Agency, FDA, led by the Deputy Country Director, Mr. Villar Michelle visited himin Lagos, southwest Nigeria, said Lagos is one of the most congested cities in the world as a result of massive rural-urban migration.

Isiba said that given the present situation which has led to the growth of slum settlements, there was the urgent need to redistribute the population through the creation of complete satellite towns, a mixed development that would consist of industrial, commercial and residential areas.

“These will be serviced with basic infrastructure like drainage, roads, potable water, electricity and other support services like open spaces, play ground, shopping complexes and so on.

“The creation of such settlements will enable a lot of people to work, live and play in their neighbourhood, reduce urban drift, congestion, environmental degradation, stress on infrastructure and public utilities and limit the need for transportation,” he said.

Isiba stated that the desire of the government to create a working and sustainable mega city is confronted by myriad of challenges, which included funding and the several years of neglect which he noted had created a wide gap between the present state of the environment and what is the ideal.

He said the limited resources of government could not take care of all challenges of urban regeneration at a time,thus, the need to seek partnership in funding the satellite towns, adding that the French experience at creating the most successful satellite settlements made her a point of reference and most sought after partner in the quest for sustainable satellite towns.

Isiba revealed that about 382,882 persons came into Lagos per day in 2010 and that a large percentage of this figure remained in the state, while imploring the FDA and other investors in real estate to collaborate with the NTDA to invest in the provision of infrastructure such as roads, houses, potable water, drainage and power supply in the various estates to facilitate the speedy creation of as many satellite towns as possible for the growing population and stem the growth of slum settlements.

Responding, Michelle said the agency had been monitoring development in Lagos State and had invested in some infrastructure including the BRT phase II, eye clinic in Lagos and Abuja.

He noted that the agency annually dedicates $300 million to infrastructure development, adding that its 2012 budget was targeted at rural roads, energy, electricity and integrated urban development.

—Kazeem Ugbodaga