Town and Country Planning and Administration in Nigeria

Abstract

Reviews the development of town and country planning and administration in Nigeria from the colonial period to the present. The British colonial administration, with its religious and missionary zeal, created the cultural, social and ideological premisses of modern town and country planning and administration in Nigeria. Different land uses were established without proper planning. These primary initiatives saw the emergence and formalization of physical planning and planning legislation. Planning in the country is still redundant and unable to cope with urban and regional development problems. Inadequate social accounts, local planning theories, models, and professional planning education, and a lack of financial resources and statutory legitimacy are the major planning problems. Conclusions, suggestions and recommendations are made encouraging planners to be more proactive.