Rapid urbanisation driven by poverty and unregulated self-help developments is pushing Jos into environmentally fragile and high-risk zones, Professor Samuel Danjuma Wapwera of the University of Jos has warned.
Delivering the University’s 115th Inaugural Lecture on Tuesday at the Aliyu Akwe Doma Indoor Theatre, Naraguta Campus, Wapwera said the growing influx of people into the city without corresponding economic capacity or planning control was resulting in haphazard settlements, unsafe housing patterns and mounting environmental pressure.
Speaking on the theme, The Exclusive Ideal: Ripples of Physical Planning Developments and the Unfulfilled Promise of the Greater Jos Urban Master Plan, the professor of Sustainable Urban Built Environmental Planning described the phenomenon as the “urbanisation of poverty,” explaining that migration into urban centres without economic stability often fuels informal and risky development patterns.
“Urbanisation in our own context is not just about population growth. It is about the urbanisation of poverty. People move into the city without an economic base, and they occupy space in ways that create pressure on infrastructure and the environment,” he said.
Wapwera identified nocturnal construction, hilltop settlements and housing developments near abandoned mining sites as emerging patterns in Jos, noting that many buildings are erected without approvals, access roads or basic services.
“These developments take place at night without approval. Some are on hillsides, some are under high-tension lines, and many have no access roads or infrastructure. The consequences are safety risks, environmental degradation and vulnerability to disasters,” he warned.
He further explained that Jos was originally conceived as a compact city model designed for efficient infrastructure sharing, but unregulated outward expansion had weakened that structure, increased costs and reduced community resilience.
According to him, urban sprawl is extending the city beyond designated boundaries, leading to the loss of agricultural land, longer commuting distances and rising infrastructure costs, while many residents in self-help settlements lack legal documentation such as Certificates of Occupancy, leaving them economically vulnerable.
Wapwera also cautioned against residential developments around old tin-mining locations, stressing that such sites may contain radioactive substances and heavy metals that pose long-term health risks.
In his remarks, the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Jos, Professor Tanko Ishaya, expressed concern over the increasing encroachment on university land, describing it as a reflection of the wider pressures created by unregulated urban expansion.
He noted that the challenges highlighted in the inaugural lecture underscore the urgent need for coordinated planning enforcement and responsible development practices, urging relevant authorities to take proactive measures to safeguard both public institutions and surrounding communities.
Wapwera advocated a transition toward a more flexible and inclusive spatial planning framework that integrates environmental sustainability, climate responsiveness and community participation.
“This is the environment where we live, work and play. If development continues without proper guidance, we will continue to expose ourselves to avoidable risks,” he added.
