Elochukwu Benjamin
Awka
The Nigerian Institute of Town Planners (NITP) has attributed the persistent growth of street trading across Nigeria to poor urban planning, urging governments at all levels to adopt proactive planning measures and provide affordable markets for low-income traders.
The National President of the institute, Dr. Chime Ogbonna, made the call on Friday in Awka during the Eastern Planners Forum.
Discussions at the Forum centered on the theme, “Street Trading and Regional Development in Awka: Pathway to Urban-Rural Integration and Labour Absorption.”
Ogbonna said street trading is largely a consequence of settlements that develop without proper master plans, stressing that effective planning should accommodate the needs of every segment of society.
According to him, a well-prepared master plan provides for everyone, including traders, artisans, professionals, plants and even wildlife.
He noted that Nigeria’s planning challenge stems from a culture where physical development often takes place before proper planning, resulting in the exclusion of critical land-use needs.
“Street trading is an abuse of land use. It exists because our settlements are not planned ahead of time. If you look at the number of people who have lost their lives while selling goods on the roadside, the figures are alarming,” he said.
Ogbonna urged governments to correct planning failures by developing designated markets specifically for low-income traders, with affordable shop rents to discourage trading along roads and highways.
He also advised governments to allocate shops directly to genuine traders and sensitise the public against patronising roadside vendors.
Earlier, the Chairman of the NITP in Anambra State, Mr. Ifeanyi Igwilo, said the forum provided an opportunity for professionals to examine emerging planning challenges, exchange ideas and develop practical strategies for improving human settlements across the region.
He identified rapid urbanisation, climate change, environmental degradation, housing shortages, traffic congestion and growing pressure on infrastructure as issues requiring innovative planning solutions and stronger collaboration among states.
The Anambra State Commissioner for Lands, Prof. Offornze Amucheazi, reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to enforcing planning regulations and promoting orderly development.
Represented by the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Mrs. Nkiru Muokwe, the commissioner acknowledged the vital role of professional town planners in preparing master plans, guiding land use and curbing indiscriminate development.
He said the state government would continue to partner with the institute to strengthen planning laws and enforcement, promote sustainable urban and rural development, digitise land records and planning approvals, and build the capacity of planning professionals.
Presenting a paper titled “Assessment of the Spatial Distribution of Street Traders in Awka and Its Planning Implications,” Prof. Chinedu Okoye of the Department of Urban and Regional Planning, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, described street trading as an indispensable component of the informal economy.
He said although the sector remains resilient and provides livelihoods for many, it is constrained by structural and spatial challenges that limit its growth.
Okoye advocated policies that recognise and integrate informal trading into urban planning, arguing that such measures would improve traders’ welfare while promoting inclusive and sustainable city development.
Also speaking, the Chairman of the NITP Abia State Chapter, Mr. Anyanwu Uzoma, described street trading as a form of economic empowerment and called for the establishment of dedicated spaces where traders could operate legally and develop their businesses.
The forum attracted town planning professionals from Abia, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, Ebonyi, Enugu, Imo, Rivers and Anambra States.
