By Ese Obote-Ogwu
ASABA/Nigeria: The Delta State Government has sought technical assistance to strengthen urban planning, transportation, waste management and other systems needed to cope with the state’s expanding cities.
The request was made during a technical mission on integrated urban management received by the Commissioner for Economic Planning, Mr Sonny Ekedayen, in Asaba.
Ekedayen said the engagement was important to improving coordination among government agencies and identifying areas where technical expertise and support could strengthen the state’s urban development efforts.
He said the Ministry of Economic Planning plays a coordinating role in the state’s development plans and donor-supported programmes, making the validation exercise necessary for government and development partners to establish common priorities.
According to him, the state has already taken steps towards improving urban administration through institutions such as the Ministry of Urban Renewal, the Delta State Capital Territory Development Agency and the Warri/Uvwie and Environs Development Agency.
He said the mission would provide an opportunity to examine existing urban planning laws and master plans and identify areas requiring improvement.
A major area of interest, he added, is the development of an Urban Management Information System that would integrate Geographic Information System and Land Information System technologies to improve access to reliable information for planning and decision-making.
Ekedayen also said the exercise could open opportunities for additional technical and financial support from development partners.
He called on ministries, departments and agencies to make relevant and verified data available to the technical team to enable a comprehensive assessment of the state’s urban management needs.
The Team Lead, Mrs Bertine Kamphuis, who is Lead Private Sector Development Specialist, said the mission was in Delta to discuss opportunities for strengthening sustainable and integrated approaches to urban management.
Kamphuis said the engagement would also identify areas where further technical discussions and collaboration could be developed, with attention to the systems required to make cities more productive, resilient, inclusive and liveable.
She said the discussions covered institutional arrangements, financing, urban planning and service delivery, among other areas considered critical to sustainable city development.
During presentations by relevant ministries and agencies, officials outlined specific areas where they require technical assistance.
The Commissioner for Transport, Mr Onoriode Agofure, identified traffic management as one of the immediate areas requiring support. He listed the proposed installation of traffic cameras, development of mini and smaller bus terminals and dedicated Blue and Red Bus Rapid Transit lanes among measures being considered to improve movement in Asaba, Warri and other major urban centres.
For the Ministry of Urban Renewal, Commissioner Hon. Sunday Tatabuguzo said technical assistance would be required to facilitate the full implementation of existing master plans across the state.
He linked the implementation of the plans to the need for more orderly urban expansion and measures to prevent the uncontrolled growth of slums.
The Director-General of the Asaba Capital Territory Development Agency, Chief Patrick Ukah, called for support in waste processing and environmental management.
He specifically requested assistance for waste-to-wealth initiatives, modern cleaning equipment and improved zoning arrangements to ensure better separation of residential and industrial areas in Asaba and other major towns.
The Commissioner for Energy, Dr Michael Anoka, said the state was also interested in technical support that could advance its ambition of developing Delta as an energy hub.
He said assistance would be required for the development of the state’s own energy transmission infrastructure.
Similarly, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Mr Ogbugo Victor, identified sanitary landfills and recycling plants as priority areas requiring technical support to improve waste management and environmental sustainability.
The technical mission subsequently held detailed sessions with representatives of various ministries, departments and agencies as part of the assessment of the state’s urban management needs.
The engagement is expected to help identify priority areas for technical cooperation and possible support as Delta continues to address the challenges associated with rapid urban growth.
