The Nigerian Institute of Town Planners has called for a national shift towards security-conscious town planning. The Institute urged authorities to integrate safety considerations into the design, approval, and renewal of settlements across the country.

The Vice-Chancellor of Bells University of Technology, Ota, Professor Jeremiah Oludele Ojediran, at the 12th edition of the Whaeed Kadiri Lecture Series 2026, organised by the Ogun State Chapter of the Institute in Abeokuta, said many Nigerian cities developed without coordinated master plans, leading to congested neighbourhoods, poor access roads, inadequate street lighting, weak land-use systems, and informal settlements with little surveillance visibility.

He noted that such structural deficiencies create advantages for criminal activities, stressing that enforcement alone cannot address insecurity without proper spatial planning.

Professor Ojediran recommended a National Secure Urban Development Policy that would make security architecture mandatory in the planning of new towns and housing estates, including a compulsory Security Impact Assessment for major developments.

Ogun State Commissioner for Urban and Physical Planning, Tpl. Tunji Odunlami, described Ogun as one of the safest states in Nigeria, attributing the development and rapid growth of industries in the state to the governor’s efforts.