Why slums keep growing in Nigeria ' Expert

Johnson FagbamilaPoor management of Nigerian cities by government and its relevant agencies has been identified as being largely responsible for the continuous growth of slum in the country.The president of the Association of Town Planning Consultants of Nigeria (ATOPCON), Mr Moses Ogunleye, made this known in Lagos recently.A seasoned town planner and president of the Association of Town Planning Consultants of Nigeria (ATOPCON), Mr Moses Ogunleye, likened slum growth to humans who he said would fall apart and become something else if they are not well maintained.Slums develop and grow like human beings. Slums say the community is old and it has degenerated. Like humans, cities with human settlements also grow. If humans are not well maintained; if they dont wear good cloths, eat good food, so that their systems can work well, then they will also become just like slums, he stated.According to him, slums will continue to grow in Nigeria if she does not manage her cities very well.He said Nigeria, being a Third World country, where the government struggles with the basic necessities of life, would record faster slum growth, adding, countries such as Brazil also have slums, and despite the fact that there own degree of slums degeneration is not as worse as ours, they still refer to theirs as slums, but they have upgraded their own slums to make life much more meaningful.To reduce slums, he insisted, the government should show more interest in ensuring that communities were revived as they were generated. For instance, roads have their ages and duration, therefore if roads get bad, they must be repaired; if drainages get blocked they must be promptly emptied, if buildings are old, processes whereby their owners can rebuild them must be initiated.
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