Benue State to review 48-year-old master plan for urban development

The General Manager of the Benue State Urban Development Board, Mr. Ternongo Mede, has announced that the state government is taking steps to review its master plan, originally developed in 1976, to align with contemporary realities.

Mede shared this information in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), emphasizing the importance of updating the state’s urban framework.

He described a master plan as a comprehensive blueprint that defines the future of towns and settlements.

According to Mede, an effective master plan designates specific areas for various activities to promote orderliness, accessibility, and aesthetic appeal within the community.

“The master plan will identify where industrial zones should be located, where educational facilities will be situated, and where residential areas ought to be established,” he explained.

“It is crucial that these different land uses are properly linked to avoid conflicts, such as placing industrial areas too close to residential neighborhoods.”

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Mede further detailed that residential zones could be categorized into low-density areas, such as Government Reserved Areas (GRA), as well as medium and high-density regions.

While he acknowledged that creating a new master plan would require significant funding and may not be fully feasible at present, Mede proposed a segmented approach.

He suggested prioritizing major towns in the state, such as Makurdi, Gboko, Otukpo, and Vandeikya, before extending efforts to other urban centers.

“With 25 to 26 urban centers in Benue, developing a master plan for all of them is a considerable challenge given the scarcity of resources,” he noted.

“Focusing on key towns first will help us manage the process more effectively.”