Amidst the increasing cries of ongoing demeaning of the provisions of the Abuja Masterplan in many parts of Abuja City, came the information by the FCT Administration that the Masterplan would be undergoing review. Perhaps, the Administration forgot that this information has been there much earlier.
Our fear is the commandeering of the review and use as a cover-up for validation of the atrocities being committed on the Masterplan. If it so happened the consequences is beyond the concerns of the Town Planners only, but all other professionals in the built industry and the entire residents, citizens and the nation generally.
The Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA) is leading the process to update the 46-year-old plan. JICA was engaged since 2019. It should have the moral obligation to deliver in line with our National interest and the terms of reference, not to be used as a conduit for violation or incorporating some recent developments clearly in condescension of the provision of the Abuja Land Use Plan under the pretext of contemporary demand. Such abuses are inimical to the safety, health, security, welfare and comfort of the City and its residents.
The review aims to address current urban challenges like inadequate infrastructure, a strain on services, traffic congestion, and environmental concerns, which have arisen due to population growth that has outpaced the original plan. As amply emphasized previously, the review is very significant in order to address the contemporary urban growth challenges of Abuja City. A deadline of 2026 was given by the present administration to coincide with the City’s Golden Jubilee.
It is important to emphasize that the city’s population has grown significantly beyond what the original master plan anticipated, putting a strain on existing infrastructure and leading to informal settlements and development outside the planned areas. It led to much higher demand on essential services such as water supply, power, and drainage systems. Traffic congestion and other urban mobility issues are major challenges that need to be resolved.
The original plan had strong environmental goals that have been disregarded, necessitating a review to address these issues. The review is also looking into socioeconomic issues such as unemployment and income disparities, which have been identified in previous studies.
Hence the expectations being an updated and integrated master plan that is better equipped to handle the city’s current and future needs. These are, improved infrastructure, with a focus on modern amenities and services. A plan for a smart city that aligns with international standards. And strategies to improve urban mobility and address environmental degradation. Population explosion in Abuja had equally created the need to look into the creation of employment opportunities.
The FCTA is in partnership with JICA to conduct the review. A technical team from the FCTA and FCDA, along with JICA, has since been collecting data for the project’s inception report. As part of the stakeholders’ engagement, an international conference is planned to gather input from critical stakeholders once the inception report is approved.
It is important to note that International Planning Associates (IPA), developed the overall Abuja Master plan, While Kenzo Tange and Urtec, a Japanese firm was engaged and produced a more detailed design of the Central Area District. Tange’s plan was for a modern capital that balanced functionality, a sense of unity, and a focus on green spaces.
It is not a coincidence that JICA being a Japanese Government Company is again engaged by the FCT Administration for the Review of the Abuja Masterplan. This is a testimony for the efficiency of the Japanese product exemplified by the Kenzo Tange which the FCDA has been implementing since when the report was first submitted in 1981.
As stated the program includes stakeholders’ engagement. This is very necessary because it is a standard requirement in planning. Plans are not meant for satisfying the interests of an individual or creating plots of lands for speculations. The citizens not only the planners must be involved in the planning as well as its use, defense and protection. Among these stakeholders are other relevant professionals outside JICA and the FCT Administration who would advise on vital and relevant aspects not factored in the masterplan review?
That was the path navigated by the original Master planners, the IPA. There were the Members of the FCDA Board, Technical Assessment Panel constituting of the indigenous professionals from planning institutions and agencies cutting across all the states in the Federation. Again, there was an International Review Panel.
The principles which the Masterplan was originally hinged is still relevant and sacrosanct. What actually changes in the demand occasioned by population increase and changing values. Part of this principle was focus on green space, which the IPA recommended and emphasized by Kenzo Tange in its Central Area Plan.
All eyes has since been on JICA to make the good thinking and deliver another good product.