Urban and regional planning experts in Nigeria have issued a strong call for the adoption of a unified national system to classify land use. They argue this is a critical step to address the widespread disorder in cities, inconsistent development patterns, and the frequent, often controversial, demolition of properties.
Workshop Highlights Planning Crisis
The urgent appeal was made during a one-day workshop held on 17 December 2025. The event, titled “Land Use Classification for Planning Practice in Nigeria,” was organized by the Department of Urban and Regional Planning at the University of Lagos (UNILAG). It was conducted in collaboration with the Spatial Data Infrastructure (SDI) Cluster of the Centre for Housing and Sustainable Development.
Participants stressed that the current lack of a standardized, legally binding framework for land use leads directly to spatial conflicts. This absence makes effective urban management nearly impossible, contributing to the informality and chaos seen in many Nigerian cities.
A Foundation for Meaningful Planning
The convener of the workshop, Professor Muyiwa Agunbiade, described land-use classification as the essential bedrock of any effective planning process. He issued a stark warning, stating that operating without a structured system actively fuels urban disorder.
“It is like trying to speak English without knowing the alphabet,” Agunbiade explained, highlighting the fundamental flaw in current practices. “Without clear building blocks, you cannot form meaningful planning outcomes.”
Addressing a major public concern, Professor Agunbiade clarified that the proposed framework is not designed to trigger a new wave of demolitions. Instead, he said it is intended to support regeneration, especially in already built-up or legacy areas, moving the focus from destruction to sustainable redevelopment.
From Broad Classes to Precise Subclasses
A key innovation of the proposed system is its move from the conventional eight or nine broad land-use categories to a much more detailed hierarchical structure. The new framework breaks these broad classes down into 208 clearly defined subclasses. This allows planners, for the first time, to identify specific building functions with far greater precision, enabling more accurate and effective decision-making.
The keynote address was delivered by Professor Adamu Hamed, represented by Dr. Abdul Husaini, the Permanent Secretary of the Niger State Ministry of Lands and Survey. He emphasized that proper land-use classification is non-negotiable for good governance, noting that “development cannot be managed without proper measurement.”
A central goal of the workshop was to explore modernizing existing systems by automating them through digital coding. This digital shift would enable the creation of centralized and standardized spatial data that could be shared seamlessly across different states.
Lagos Endorses Digital Alignment
The initiative received notable endorsement from Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu. The governor, represented by Surveyor Ayokunnu Adesina, acknowledged that Nigeria's rapid population growth and urban expansion have placed unprecedented pressure on land. This pressure has exposed critical weaknesses in how land is currently understood and categorized.
Governor Sanwo-Olu pointed out that inconsistent interpretation of land use among various professionals erodes coordination between government agencies and complicates policy decisions. He described the proposed harmonized framework as a practical solution that would allow planners, policymakers, investors, and institutions to finally operate with uniform data and shared definitions.
Significantly, the governor noted that this national initiative aligns perfectly with Lagos State's own digital transformation of land administration. The state is implementing an Enterprise Geographic Information System (e-GIS), which aims to replace outdated paper-based land records with transparent online platforms for verification and applications.
The collective push from academics, practitioners, and government signals a growing consensus on the need for a data-driven, standardized approach to land management as a prerequisite for building orderly, sustainable, and conflict-free cities in Nigeria.
