Nasarawa State Urban Development Board (NUDB), says the state government has ordered proper gazetting and review of urban planning to create enabling, healthy and comfortable environment for inhabitants.
Mr Mohammed Yahaya, Managing Director of the Board, said this in an interview on Tuesday in Lafia, the Nasarawa state capital.
The Managing director, who said before now there has never been a master plan in any of the cities in Nasarawa State, noted that a master plan has been designed based on the existing environment.
According to him, the importance of town planning cannot be over emphasised, considering the fact that it is expected to create enabling environment, healthy, peaceful and comfortability for inhabitants.
“When we talk about urban, we are talking about the areas with higher population, and as long as population keeps growing, all basic necessities are required to be made available so that it will make the environment livable, peaceful and healthy.
“With planning, development increases, then there is need to do some review. It is only when that is done we can have a comfortable and planned environment.
“And that is what brings the concept of urban renewal or slum upgrade, because it is an existing development. For you to provide the improvement, you need to do some amendments, demolitions and modifications,” he said.
Yahaya said the board is doing its best to ensure that any new development gives a befitting design at appropriate and compatible environment.
“When you bring a design you want to build an industry in a residential dominated area, we make sure there is compatibility, there’s similarity for our town as at now,” he emphasised.