Abuja needs credible, transparent, predictable property market, says former town planners' president

The Federal Capital Territory needs a credible, transparent and predictable property market capable of giving investors confidence and protecting residents from avoidable losses arising from building demolitions, built-environment professional Nathaniel Atebije has said.

Atebije, a former president of the Nigerian Institute of Town Planners, made the submission while reacting to the ongoing demolition of buildings in parts of the Federal Capital Territory. He said the issues of building demolition went beyond individual developers or property owners, touching on the integrity of Abuja's planning system, land administration, development control, investment security and public confidence in government institutions.

According to him, while government has the legitimate responsibility to remove developments that violate approved planning regulations, enforcement must be accompanied by transparency, accountability and institutional responsibility. He said it was not enough for authorities to ask who constructed an offending building. "They must also ask how the land was allocated, what information was available to the developer, what approvals were issued; which agencies participated in the process and whether those responsible for approving or facilitating irregular developments are equally held accountable," he stressed.

To avert future occurrences, Atebije cautioned property developers and investors against placing complete reliance on government land allocation documents when deciding to develop a property. He noted that a Right of Occupancy or Certificate of Occupancy could establish certain rights over land but should not automatically be regarded as confirmation that every proposed development on the property is physically and planning-wise appropriate.

He stressed the importance of engaging registered and competent town planners and other relevant professionals before acquiring land or committing substantial resources to development. A professional planning assessment should determine whether a proposed project conforms with the applicable Abuja master plan, local plan, district plan or other approved planning scheme, and should establish permitted land use, development density, plot coverage, setbacks, building height, accessibility and parking requirements. He warned that failure to conduct such assessments could expose investors to enormous financial losses. "A modest professional fee paid at the beginning of a transaction can prevent a catastrophic financial loss at the end," he said.