Niger State Government has commenced sensitisation of stakeholders in communities across the 25 local government areas as part of the preparation for the formulation of the state urban policy.
News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the state government had received a 900,000 dollar grant from the South Korean government for the policy.
The policy seeks to prepare the state urban policy based on the Nigerian National Urban Development Plans for Minna and Suleja.
It will include the development of improved plans, policies and designs for the cities to become more compact, integrated, connected, resident and socially inclusive.
Prof. Mustapha Zubairu, Coordinator the State Urban Support Programme (SUP), while speaking at a town hall meeting for six local government areas in Minna on Monday, said the meeting was aimed at ensuring that all residents of the state were involved in preparation of the policy.
“The stakeholders will be discussing about what the challenges of their local governments are, and their hopes and aspirations for their local governments.
“We will put all these things together and formulate a draft policy and pass it to the governor who will in turn send it to the state assembly for it to be enacted into law,” he said.
Zubairu noted that similar town hall meetings would be held in Kontagora, Bida and Suleja for other local government areas.
In his remarks, the state Governor, Abubakar Bello, said the effectiveness and sustainability of towns and cities were hinged on their ability to operate on a self- sustaining basis.
Bello, who was represented by Alhaji Ahmed Matane, Secretary to the State Government, maintained that the local economic potentials of towns have remained undeveloped with inadequate efforts at achieving internal resource mobilisation.
He solicited the support of UN-Habitat to help the state prepare a pilot integrated development plan for Minna and Suleja, and to develop a smart city near Suleja.
“This project is to create an enabling environment for residents and investors to provide products, services and skills required for the economy to grow as well as provide jobs for our people,” he said.
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