A United Kingdom-based architect, Sam Orlu-Akwu, has called on the Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, to set machinery in motion to review the Abuja Master Plan in line with international best practices.
He said going by professional standard, all master plans are subject to review every 25 years, pointing out that the Abuja is getting close to 50 years.
Orlu-Akwu spoke to journalists at the Port Harcourt International Airport yesterday, on his arrival to Nigeria for the upcoming ‘The Built Environment’ conference.
The Rivers State-born architect said: “To address the myriad of growing urban challenges, Abuja requires an efficient, credible and equitable system of urban governance. l therefore call for a review of the Abuja Master plan.
“Going by professional standard, all Master Plans are subject to review every 25 years. Abuja is nearly 50 years now. Thus, the defence of the Abuja Master Plan among others, must also include the periodic reviews, and their formalisation as new rules to govern the implementation.
“The optimum population projection of 3.1 million targeted by the Abuja Master Plan has already been exceeded and is still soaring, thereby overstretching the infrastructure and services.
“In the original concept, the city was to be developed in four phases, but due to the skyrocketing demand for land by developers, specifically residential, a fifth phase was introduced.
“Also, in the Master Plan, the outermost limits of the city were the Outer Northern Expressway (ONEX) and Outer Southern Expressway (OSEX) on the north and south of the city respectively. But many big districts have already been developed outside these limits.
“The areas that were originally considered as regions have been integrated into the City. There is every need to respond to the rapid growth of the city”.
He however, applauded Wike for the steps he has taken to actualise the Abuja Master Plan, adding that the minister had commenced the process of cleaning the rot that had engulfed the city over the years.
