Framework for physical development planning in Nigeria

By Onibokun Abimbola, Managing Partner, Development Planning and Management Consultants.

Onibokun AbimbolaPHYSICAL planning has been described in various ways as land use planning, town and country planning, urban and regional planning or simply town planning. In general terms, the term relates to use of land or the spatial expression of the desired form of social and economic development. The scope of its coverage has been defined to encompass:

The art and science of organising the use of land for the greater good of the society (Louis Keeble 1961)

The practice of choice making among options for future needs and allocating resources (Roberts 1974).

The systematic assessment of land and water, alternative pattern of land use and other physical, social and economic conditions in such a way to encourage land user to select options that increase productivity; are sustainable and meets societal needs (Luining 1995).

These definitions underscore the fact that land use planning in addition to physical planning and economic considerations, also addresses the issues of health, safety and general well being of people which is often referred to as public interest determinant of land use. Its focus has been further expanded (Chaping 1970) to include urban land market and culture bound considerations such as customs, traditions and belief. This public interest perspective of land use planning gave rise to land use zoning which has made government intervention in form of legislation and legal control in town and country planning matters impressive.

A physical development plan, according to the Nigerian Urban and Regional Planning Act of 1992, refers to a plan indicating the manner in which an area of land should be developed. Development in this regards refers to any operation in, on, over or under any land.

Physical development planning, however, mirrors three perspectives of physical development:

Design oriented, comprehensive planning.

Social economic and psychological view point, structure planning, systems approach, advocacy planning.

Public interest (health and safety principles).

The goal of the plan is to achieve sustainable development. More broadly, sustainable development policies encompass three general policy areas, economic, environmental and social. In support of this, several United Nations texts, most recently the 2005 World Summit Outcome Document, refer to the interdependent and mutually reinforcing pillars of sustainable development as economic development, social development and environmental protection.

Underlying the economic component is the principle that society;s well being would have to be maximised and poverty eradicated through the optimal and efficient use of natural resources. The social component refers to the relationship between nature and human beings, uplifting the welfare of people, improving access to basic health and education services, fulfilling minimum standards of security and respect for human rights. It also refers to the development of various cultures, diversity, pluralism and effective grass roots participation in decision making. The issue of equity that is the distribution of benefits and access to resources remains an essential component of both the economic and social dimension of sustainable development. The environmental component, on the other hand, is concerned with the conservation and enhancement of the physical and biological resource base and eco-systems

Thus, a National Physical Development Plan (NPDP) is made up of development policy statements, with series of maps and diagrams, translating national political and socio economic strategies into physical development programmes and proposals. This should be distinguished from the popular National Economic Development Plan (NEDP) which refers to a statement of economic and fiscal policy of government over a specified period of time.

Typologies of physical developemnt plans
Physical development plan varies by types and scope of application depending on the purpose for their preparations. Aspects of the plans includes structure plan, regional sub-regional plan, urban town masterplan, local plan, rural area plan, action area plan and subject plan.

Regional planning refers to planned development of land use in a readily identifiable or a homogenous area identified by its common natural and human features. We can have a polarised region characterised by the two-way relationship of town and its area of influence usually referred to as an urban region such as Greater Lagos, Kano and Abuja. There may be also be nodal region made up of heterogeneous units such as cities, towns and villages but functional inter-related and may be considered together as a planning region.

The urban comprehensive master plan which is usually in form of a published document is a long range plan that covers all types of development which uses land within the planning area with a view to achieving maximum benefit from the use of the land. The goal is to promote health, safety, welfare and convenience of the inhabitants of the planning area. Examples of masterplans were made for Kaduna (1967), Ilorin (1974), Owerri (19172) and Abuja (1979).

The term structure plan is used to mean the social, economic and physical systems of an area in so far as they are subject to planning control and influence. It is a planned framework of an area showing population distribution, land use pattern, communication and other communal services.

Local plan refers to the Layout plans prepared by the various local authorities in Nigeria for residential, industrial and recreational uses as well as campus plans for universities and hospitals are local plans.

District plan is usually prepared for a town and its surrounding rural areas which together are too small for a separate urban development plan. It sets out the planning policies, specifies development proposals including environmental planning measures and management and lays down criteria for development control in it urban and rural setting.

The action area plan like the local and structure plan consists of proposals in maps, sketches illustrations, explanatory tales and diagrams and written statements of policies and proposals. The main plan shows the boundary of the area together with any buildings, views and landmarks to be retained, proposed land uses, a road system and other policies and proposals that may be more approximately described in forms of statements.

A subject plan is the lowest level of development plan and deals with peculiar planning subject matter such reclamation of a number of derelict sites, historic preservation, upgrading of housing area, treatment of pedestrian precinct in a shopping area, environmental treatment of a motorway corridor in a rural area and recreational use of a river valley or water front. One fact to note is that each of the above plans can exist as stand alone and can also be a subject of a major plan.

Major thrust of a national physical development plan
The 1992 Urban and Regional Planning Act justified the need for a National Physical Development Plan as elaborately discussed in Part I, Section 1,2, 13-22, Parts IV and V which sections 91 was devoted to defining types of physical development plan. The purpose of preparing the NPDP, according to the Law, is to secure integration, consistency and coherence within and between all levels of the Physical Development Plan in Nigeria (Part I, Section 2).

The rationale for integrate development can be explained as follows:

Achieving spatially balanced development
Development in a predominantly agricultural country with a large rural population depends among other things on functional relationships between urban and rural settlements. This is expedient as the goal of increased agro-productivity and equity in income distribution cannot be attained effectively without an integration of rural and urban functions.

Coordinate sectoral investments
Nigeria’s development since independence in 1960 has been accompanied by unprecedented massive investment in basic infrastructure, development programmes and projects; that is, transport, education and health facilities, housing, power, telecommunications, water, commerce and trade, industry, agriculture, administration, etc.

These investments, however, are a product of independent decisions and plans by sectoral ministries, statutory organisations, the private sector andforeign aid donors.
Apart from administrative decentralisation that gave rise to State and Local Governments which have become growth centres, the federal government continues to embark on programmes and activities that invigorate regional development. Some of these can be mentioned here for reference.:-

Creation of new towns such Abuja, the federal capital, Onne industrial town, designations of zone for export processing.

Establishment of heavy propulsive industries such as iron and steel plants in Ajaokuta, Aladaja, Petrochemical plants in Kaduna, Port-harcourt etc. extractions of solid minerals in various locations.

Construction of network roads rails and water ways with the associated impact in neighbouring lands.

Establishment of many river basins and agric farms settlements and massive investment in agro based industries in the last eight years of civilian administration.

Flood and erosion control projects and afforestation projects nationwide

Industrial effluents, oil spillage etc.

A considerable proportion of these development programme/ projects have been carried out (on the ground) without spatial co-ordination within the context of a national physical development plan.

As a result, sectoral development projects have been sited to satisfy only the projects’ location requirements (land, raw material, labour, transportation, electricity, water, markets, etc.).

It appears that very little or no thought has been given to the likely existence of an alternative location which would have satisfied the location requirements and complemented other development efforts, induced growth or transformation of a deprived rural area, and/ or supported the government’s policy of decentralization. In other cases, development projects have been carried out without proper location studies to ensure that water, for example, were or could be made available.

Rational Use of Land
There is need for a national land use policy which will (a) balance space requirements and regulate competing demands for land for agriculture, forestry, national parks, industry, human settlements and related infrastructure; (b) in particular, designate the best arable lands for agriculture, the backbone of the economy, and (c) provide for the protection of the environment. The 1976 landuse Act provides only for ownership and control of land rather its rational use. Little provision was made for land budgeting for sustainable development.

Objectives of a National Physical Development Plan
a) To integrate all aspects of physical panning into national programmes of development so that the physical development is accomplished with the optimal use of all national resources, both human and physical.

b) To provide a spatial framework for the coordination and implementation of sectoral programmes and development projects.

c) To facilitate the promotion of a more spatially balanced economic growth that will ensure an optimal distribution of productive activities and population.

d) To promote the development of a system of urban and rural settlements and a hierarchy of service centres that will be in conformity with the location of natural and human resources and permit the provision of infrastructure and other facilities on an economic basis.

e) To provide guidelines for the development of a transportation network to strengthen the functional links between rural and urban settlements with the respect to the movement of the people, community flows, the delivery of services and general socioeconomic activities.

f) To provide a spatial framework for the provision of physical infrastructure and social services in relation to the distribution of productive activities and population.
g) To rationalize and promote the optional use of land and, in particular, the preservation of the best arable lands.