Reps C’ttee warns against conversion of homes to commercial areas

The Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Urban Development and Regional Planning, Awaji-Inombek Abiante, has raised concerns over the increasing rate of conversions of residential areas into commercial and semi-industrial zones across the country.

Abiante made this statement on Thursday when the committee hosted the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, Shuaib Belgore, for the defence of the 2025 budget estimates.

He emphasised that beyond the provision of housing, proper urban planning is essential to prevent the creation of slums within city centres.

He said, “We have raised concerns about the conversion of residential areas into commercial and semi-industrial areas. These changes come with significant challenges. We believe that before granting approvals for such conversions, a comprehensive impact assessment should be conducted.

“We hope that even for the new estates being developed and those planned for the future, thorough assessments will be carried out to ensure we do not create more problems in attempting to solve one.

“You are all aware of the glaring example of Trademore Estate in Abuja. It was originally designed to address accommodation challenges, yet it now faces annual flooding issues.

“In advancing the development of other estates, we must ensure comprehensive impact assessments are conducted before any projects proceed.”

The Rivers lawmaker highlighted the need for an updated enabling Act to address town planning concerns effectively.

“We have commenced the process to repeal and re-enact the relevant Act, especially the provisions concerning the town planning profession.

“The bill has already passed its first reading, and we aim to progress further with consultations and engagements with Nigerians to advance this cause,” he said.

In his remarks, the Permanent Secretary noted that the ministry is considering establishing a national housing regulatory authority to ensure standardisation in building regulations.

However, he lamented a drastic reduction in the ministry’s budget, which was slashed from ₦162 billion in 2024 to ₦83.7 billion in 2025.

“We feel this budget is grossly inadequate. Our 2024 budget was halved. Of the ₦83 billion, the Urban and Regional Development Department is allocated just ₦4.6 billion for various projects listed in the budget document before you,” Belgore said.