Asagba of Asaba Calls for Urban Transformation, Says Future of Nigeria Will Be Written in Its Cities

ASABA, Delta State — The Asagba of Asaba, His Royal Majesty Professor Epiphany Azinge, SAN, has urged Nigerian governments to shift from “urban expansion to urban transformation,” warning that the country’s rapid urbanization without planning has turned cities into “a crisis of governance” rather than engines of prosperity.

The monarch made the call on Tuesday, June 2, 2026, while delivering the 5th Public Lecture in honour of Honourable Justice Samuel Osaji, JSC, organized by the Oseji Foundation for Transparency and Community Development in Asaba.

Speaking on “Priorities for the Development of Nigerian Cities: A Case Study of Asaba,” Prof. Azinge said cities now determine national trajectories. “Cities are no longer merely administrative settlements; they are centres of innovation, engines of economic growth, arenas of social interaction and spaces where governance succeeds or fails most visibly. The future of Nigeria will largely be shaped by the future of Nigerian cities,” he said.

Using Asaba as a case study, the Asagba noted that since becoming Delta State capital in 1991, the city has experienced rapid migration and commercial growth. But that growth has brought traffic congestion, flooding from poor drainage, housing shortages, youth unemployment, waste disposal challenges, and rising insecurity.

He listed 10 priority areas for Nigerian cities: integrated urban planning with enforceable master plans and digitized land records; modern infrastructure including roads, drainage, water and broadband; affordable housing and settlement upgrades; climate resilience and waste recycling; economic development through SMEs, tech hubs and tourism; community-based security; investment in education and healthcare; preservation of cultural heritage; transparent governance; and strategic roles for traditional institutions.

“A city without planning eventually becomes ungovernable,” Prof. Azinge said, citing Singapore’s discipline, Kigali’s cleanliness, Dubai’s infrastructure drive, and Brazil’s Curitiba as models Nigeria should adapt locally.

The monarch emphasized that urban development must rest on ethics and civic responsibility. “Environmental abuse, indiscriminate waste disposal, vandalism of public property and disregard for regulations undermine urban functionality. Development is not merely a technical process; it is also a moral process,” he stated.

In his policy recommendations, he urged the Federal Government to adopt a comprehensive national urban policy and boost infrastructure investment, while state and local governments should enforce master plans, expand public transport and affordable housing, and strengthen waste management and healthcare.

Concluding, Prof. Azinge said: “Cities do not become great accidentally. They become great through vision, discipline, leadership, sacrifice and institutional continuity. May Asaba continue to rise. May Nigerian cities fulfill their promise. May our nation possess the wisdom to build a future worthy of generations yet unborn.”

The lecture was held in honour of Justice Samuel Osaji, JSC, whose career the Asagba described as embodying “integrity, discipline, jurisprudential excellence and commitment to nation-building.”