By: Tijani Salako.

The Lagos State Government on Thursday hosted the inaugural meeting of South-West Commissioners for Physical Planning and Urban Development, aimed at strengthening regional integration and coordinated development across the region.

The meeting, held at Protea Select Hotel in Alausa, Ikeja, was convened by the Lagos State Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Dr. Oluyinka Olumide, who said the gathering was designed to deepen interstate collaboration as a pathway to sustainable growth.

Speaking at the gathering themed “Forging Regional Integration Through Coordinated Physical Planning, Urban Development, and Sustainable Land Governance,” Dr. Olumide noted that the South-West region faces mounting challenges, including rapid urbanisation growth, infrastructure deficits and housing shortages.

He stressed that a collective approach was necessary to tackle these issues, particularly in view of Lagos’ growing population and its ambition to evolve into a sustainable megacity.

“Our convergence here today reflects our shared commitment to a stronger, better-planned South-West region, adding that the meeting builds on discussions from the 2024 Lagos Physical Planning Summit”.

The one-day event brought together commissioners from Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Ekiti and Ondo states, alongside representatives of the Development Agenda for Western Nigeria Commission (DAWN) and the South West Development Commission, as well as urban planners and development experts.

Participants explored key areas of collaboration, including cross-border land use management, regional waste management systems and the strengthening of transportation networks to enhance connectivity within the region.

In their remarks, the commissioners from the various South-West states commended the Lagos State Government and the administration of Babajide Sanwo-Olu for championing the initiative.

Also speaking, the Permanent Secretary, Office of Physical Planning, Oluwole Sotire, reiterated that the meeting was in line with resolutions reached at the maiden Lagos Physical Planning Summit.

He also announced that the second edition of the summit would come up in June, extending invitations to stakeholders across the region.

However, participants agreed on several resolutions, including the adoption of regional integration as a core strategy for sustainable development and the need to strengthen institutional frameworks for coordinated planning across states.

They also proposed the development of a comprehensive Western Region Master Plan to align infrastructure such as roads, rail systems and economic corridors within a unified framework.

In addition, the meeting resolved to consider the establishment of a regional planning and development coordination authority to harmonise policies and projects, while prioritising transport corridors and inter-state connectivity as drivers of economic growth in the South-West.