Benue State Government To Overhaul Outdated Master Plan

In a bid to modernize town planning and reflect current realities, the Benue State government is set to review its development master plan.

The General Manager of Benue State Urban Development Board, Mr. Ternongo Mede, revealed during an interview in Makurdi.

Highlighting the significance of updating the 1976 master plan, Mede emphasized the crucial role of a master plan in guiding the layout of towns, ensuring order, accessibility, and aesthetic appeal by designating specific areas for various activities.

“So we need to infuse the residential and educational areas in the same part. The residential areas can be divided into three, which are the low-density areas, such as GRA, then the medium and high areas,” he explained.

The revised master plan will strategically allocate industrial zones, educational facilities, and residential areas to foster harmony and prevent conflicts, with a focus on carefully placing industrial areas to maintain a pollution-free environment in residential neighborhoods.

“The master plan will show where the industrial areas are supposed to be, where the educational line uses are kept, and where the residential line uses are supposed to be kept, and all those various uses must be linked up.”

Mede, however, noted that considering the financial challenges of simultaneously developing a new master plan for all urban centers, a phased approach would be adopted.

According to him, the first phase of the new master plan is proposed to start with major towns like Makurdi, Gboko, Otukpo, and Vandeikya for efficient resource allocation and gradual implementation of the revamped master plan to elevate urban development in the state.