Demand 05
Urban Sustainability
Urban growth in Nigeria has risen consistently above 2% per annum, whereby in 2019 an estimated 51.16% of Nigeria’s total population lived in urban areas.¹⁶
The disproportionate growth of population and built-up areas in metropolitan regions has led to an unprecedented urban expansion leading to the need for robust landscape planning and efficient urban management. Many cities in Nigeria struggle with the urban heat island effect,¹⁷ over-pollution of air, land and water, price hiking,¹⁸ increased social stress and economic competition, and inadequate infrastructure and housing.¹⁹ This extends to erratic sprawl of economic activities on public spaces, urban violence, waste management problems, poor access to basic infrastructure and services, and a decrease in the overall quality of life in urban households.²⁰
As the population increases at a rapid scale, the urban population will triple in the coming decade, thereby posing serious social, economic, and environmental challenges. Without appropriate planning, design, and investment in the development of urban sustainability, a growing number of people will continue to face unprecedented negative impacts, not only of climate change but also of reduced economic growth, quality of life, and increased social instability.
Call to Action
Build and strengthen the capacity of MDAs responsible for urban planning and development on promoting climate-resilient cities, including establishing green spaces in urban centres to mitigate the impact of the urban heat island.
Implement affordable and climate-smart mass housing schemes for middle and low-income classes that have all necessary social infrastructures such as good networks of roads, centralised water systems, rain-harvesting roofs, solar panel street lights, and power distribution.
Sub-national governments must make cities smarter and more resilient to natural disasters and extreme weather events by developing climate action plans that address sectoral and cross-sectoral issues, especially in the areas of waste management, mobility, building, city management, health and safety, energy, and production.
Invest and promote urban and peri-urban agriculture programs to ensure food sufficiency and sustainability in urban areas as well as provide job opportunities for the youth.
Work with financial institutions to design and provide financial protection for people and businesses at risk of climate change.
Sub-national governments must invest in developing rural areas and provide essential services and economic opportunities for the youth to reduce the scourge of urbanisation.
Work with the National and State Disaster Management Agencies to roll out community-based participatory Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) management programs, conduct disaster and risk assessments to identify danger spots susceptible to flooding, work with the youth to conduct awareness campaigns to sensitise residents on the dangers of building in flood-prone areas, and enforce policies to curb such development.
Introduce a nationwide adoption and integration of geoinformation system technology into urban planning and disaster management to promote urban climate resilience and sustainability.
Increase surveillance for safety and security measures, and provide safe spaces for women, children, and other vulnerable groups to seek refuge.
Execute viable spatial planning to control the construction of homes and infrastructures on flood-prone areas such as river banks, wetlands, and low-lying areas, and ensure the construction of efficient stormwater and drainage systems.
Development partners should support governments at all levels to provide technical assistance in developing viable Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) management programs, implementing risk analytics, developing financial strategies, designing instruments, and offering policy advice.
References
[16] https://gsdrc.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/692_Urban_Expansion_of_Nigerian_Cities.pdf
[18] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5676403/
[20] https://infoguidenigeria.com/problems-urbanization-nigeria/