Challenges of Urban Governance in Nigeria

Kaliel Abubakar Siddiq

Challenge, Urbanisation, Planning, Governance.

The growth of urban centres has become one among the foremost remarkable trends of the 20th century Africa. Mans' inclination to agglomerate in sizeable amount during a few urban centres is sort of impressive. Due to the increase, 10 of the fastest growing cities within the world are found in Africa with an annual average rate of growth of 3.5 percent and presently the fastest within the world. The urbanisation process is accelerating by the dynamisms of the socio-political and economic conditions of the contemporary times, including the increasing migration that takes place in Africa. Because of the ever increasing urban population cause proliferation of cities, certain environmental, legal, institutional and other problems arise leading to ineffective urban planing. This paper therefore examined the matter issues that have negative impacts on urban planing and governance in Africa. Effective urban governance is to be understood from the attitude of Associative Network model. Data are going to be drawn from secondary sources. Findings show that the effective urban planing hinges on efficient government through synergy and collaboration of all stake holders, multi level government, public/private partnership, greater space for public participation etc.

The advantages of such developments within the vacuum created by the inadequacies of the formal planning system seem self-evident. However, it's apparent that these developments suffer from deficiencies within the provision of infrastructure and services and should also put an intolerable strain on nearby infrastructure and services designed to deal with the much smaller population anticipated by formal planning. Equally, the increasing commodification of lands especially those delivered through the informal system within the face of rapid urbanisation and rising demand are driving land and rental prices to unsustainable levels and out of the reach of essential key workers and therefore the urban poor. This, including the tendency for the governance arrangements under the informal system to crumble within the face of urbanisation, could potentially displace folks that would be considered entitled under the urban land administration and planning system in Nigeria. Furthermore, lack of formal governance and management of housing developments can place people in danger from unhealthy and overcrowded living conditions. this might also empower unscrupulous land owners and developers to prescribe their own governance and management framework, which can end in exploitation of innocent purchasers.

https://doi.org/10.31871/WJRR.12.6.3