Abuja’s rising population worries Reps, lawmakers demand more infrastructure

The House of Representatives on Wednesday expressed concerns
over the rising population in the Federal Capital Territory,
calling for more infrastructure in Abuja’s satellite towns.

The House made the demand when it unanimously adopted a motion
moved by Micah Jiba titled, ‘Provision of Basic Infrastructure in
Kubwa, Abuja, to Ease the Problem of Overpopulation in the
Area.’

Adopting the motion, the lawmakers urged the Federal Government
to review the master plan of Kubwa district and other satellite
towns to cater for the current and future changes in the areas by
establishing “more settlements as well as health care facilities,
schools and other basic amenities for the growing number of
residents around the areas.”

The House also mandated the committees on FCT Area Councils and
Ancillary Matters, and Urban Development to ensure compliance with
the resolution.

Jiba noted that over the years, the FCT had undergone tremendous
growth and development, resulting in massive influx of people into
the city.

He added that in the master plan of the FCT, Kubwa was one of
the five major sub-districts designed to cater for between 150,000
to 250,000 people, organised around local businesses and
employment, which were to be autonomous yet accessible to other
parts of the city.

The lawmaker said Kubwa was the fastest growing satellite town
in Abuja, as there was a concentration of a large number of the
Federal Government workforce and businessmen residing in the
town.

Jiba said, “The House is aware that due to the increasing
migration of people to the district, Kubwa currently has a
population of over 700,000 people as against the maximum number of
250,000 the area was originally intended to accommodate.

“There is currently an acute housing shortage and a rapid growth
of satellite towns that clearly lack basic amenities and social
infrastructure, which is at complete variance with the core values
set out in the Abuja master plan.”