As part of measures to address the problems of development plan in the country, a sensitization roundtable on national physical development plan involving the federal, state and local governments was held recently in Kano.

Speaking at the event, Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development, Mr.Nduese Essien, said that no nation can progress without adequate planning and that Nigeria is facing enormous challenges in its development pursuit.

The minister cited some of the challenges as shortfall and decay, imbalanced regional development, unemployment and low productivity, dwindling resources, escalating urbanization and crime among several others.

He lamented that "these problems have created multitudes of other conditions that have rubbished past efforts at addressing the fundamental issues of our national development. Besides, most of the strategies adopted to resolve the problems have largely been unco-ordinated while the three tiers of government have continued to operate independently of each other."

Nduese noted also that the meeting had created platform to co-ordinate the contributions of all levels of government and all sectors of the economy towards the attainment of the National Development Agenda (which include the 7-point Agenda, NEEDS ll and Vision 20:2020), adding that the NPDP is therefore a vehicle to drive these agenda and form the basis for balancing development amongst the regions.

"The broad goal of the NPDP is to achieve balance and sustainable development of Nigeria through effective integration of social, economic and physical development initiatives. The objectives of the plan are to optimize utilization of land and natural resources for sustainable development and promote balanced regional development for national unity," he further stated.