By Stella Williams
The Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development, on Monday, joined the global community to mark the 2025 World Habitat Day with the theme “Urban Crisis Response: Flooding in Focus.” The event brought together key stakeholders, policymakers, and industry leaders to deliberate on innovative and collaborative strategies to address the growing challenges of urban development, especially those linked to flooding and environmental resilience.
Delivering her remarks at the event, Professor Grace Oloukoi, a Professor of Urban Planning and Environmental Management at Lead City University, Ibadan, drew attention to the escalating threats posed by rapid urbanisation and inadequate planning in Nigerian cities.
Professor Oloukoi, who has dedicated her research to understanding the intersection between water systems and urban environments, emphasized that water remains central to both the challenges and solutions of urban sustainability.
“My research area has been water within environmental systems. I look at water as a resource, water as a service, and water as a management body, which everybody must come together to work on,” she said.
The academic further explained that her studies also examine the relationship between water and social wellbeing, highlighting its connection to health, women, children, and work.
According to her, the persistent flooding in many Nigerian cities underscores the urgent need for proactive, not reactive, urban crisis management.
“Our response to urban crises should no longer be reactionary but protective,” Professor Oloukoi stressed. “We should not be responding only when disasters have happened; rather, we should plan ahead for potential emergencies and prepare for the worst-case scenarios.”
She lamented that flooding, once considered a seasonal occurrence, has now become an almost annual crisis in many parts of the country, demanding urgent planning interventions.
“Flooding used to come occasionally, but now it comes almost every year. We must plan ahead with the ability to prevent it from happening. Prevention is not only better and safer; it is also sustainable,” she noted.
The event provided a platform for experts to share insights on integrating environmental planning, community awareness, and policy frameworks to strengthen urban resilience.
Participants also emphasized the importance of collaboration between government agencies, academia, and private sector players to develop long-term strategies for mitigating urban flooding.
Speakers agreed that addressing the issue requires a combination of sound environmental governance, citizen participation, and the adoption of modern urban planning technologies.
The 2025 World Habitat Day celebration reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to the global vision of sustainable cities and communities, as outlined in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 11.
By placing “flooding in focus,” the Ministry highlighted the urgency of creating adaptive and resilient cities capable of withstanding environmental challenges.
The commemoration ended with a call to action for all stakeholders to embrace proactive planning, sustainable water management, and stronger disaster-prevention measures to safeguard lives and livelihoods in urban areas
