The Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Muttaqha Rabe Darma, has reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to upgrading slums and transforming informal settlements into livable communities across Nigeria.
Darma made the pledge during a meeting with officials of the Nigerian Institute of Town Planners led by its National President, Ogbonna Chime, in Abuja.
The minister identified areas such as Makoko in Lagos, Gishiri in Abuja, and several settlements in Kano and Port Harcourt as communities requiring urgent intervention and upgrading.
He said the Ministry’s forthcoming urban development policy would prioritise the rehabilitation of such settlements to improve living conditions for residents.
Darma also disclosed that the Federal Government would review the 1992 Regional and Urban Development Law, which he noted has remained largely unimplemented since its enactment.
According to him, collaboration with the Ministry of Regional Development would be necessary to determine the framework for full implementation of the law, while professional input from the town planners’ institute would also be considered.
The minister further reiterated the administration’s commitment to the use of indigenous consultants in government projects, describing it as part of efforts to promote local capacity development, employment and skills transfer in the built environment sector.
“The Ministry already trained individually about 2,000 of them to get skills in the built environment, and these young people are all over Nigeria applying what they learnt,” he said.
On manpower challenges within the ministry, Darma urged professionals and public servants to embrace innovation and artificial intelligence, noting that technology would increasingly shape the future workplace.
He stressed that AI would not replace people who understand and can effectively use technology, encouraging continuous learning and professional development.
The minister also advised professional bodies to explore alternative funding strategies to strengthen their operations and maintain professional standards.
He invited the institute to submit additional recommendations for inclusion in the ministry’s forthcoming strategic development plan.
Darma also expressed willingness to attend the institute’s 60th anniversary celebration and 57th International Conference scheduled to hold in Lagos in October, pending official engagements.
Earlier, Chime said the delegation visited to congratulate the minister on his appointment and reaffirm the institute’s readiness to support the ministry in achieving its mandate.
He appealed to the government to fully implement the 1992 Urban and Regional Planning Law, describing it as essential for effective urban planning and development.
The NITP president also called for increased investment in urban renewal initiatives, greater engagement of indigenous town planning consultants, replacement of retired professionals in the ministry and improved funding for regulatory bodies in the sector.
