Ogun Can Become World’s Richest State If It Harnesses Industrial Wealth, Plans Cities Properly- Environmental Expert

Toyyibat Qasim & Firdaus Obiremi

A Professor of Estate Management at the University of Lagos, Timothy Gbenga Nubi, has declared that Ogun State could become one of the richest and most prosperous states in the world if it properly harnesses its industrial potential and embraces effective physical planning.

Nubi, however, warned that the state risks becoming a dumping ground and residential extension of Lagos if successive governments fail to prioritise urban planning, infrastructure development and the regeneration of emerging settlements.

The don said Ogun’s strategic location, growing industrial base and proximity to Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial hub, presented enormous opportunities that could transform its economy and living conditions if properly managed.

He spoke on Thursday during the 40th anniversary of the Ogun State chapter of the Nigerian Institute of Town Planners, held at the June 12 Cultural Centre, Abeokuta, with the theme, “Honouring the Past: Designing the Future.”

Speaking with journalists after the event, Nubi said the state’s industrial expansion, particularly along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway corridor, placed it in a favourable position to achieve unprecedented economic growth.

He, however, stressed that industrial development without comprehensive planning could undermine the state’s long-term prosperity.

“Ogun State will be one of the richest, most prosperous states in the entire world. Not in Africa,” he said, adding that the state must harness its industrial potential and ensure that physical planning becomes central to its development agenda.

Nubi argued that Ogun’s economic future would depend largely on the ability of successive administrations to integrate industrial expansion with urban renewal, housing, transportation, environmental protection and other essential infrastructure.

He lamented that physical planning started late in the state, noting that Ogun was created in 1976, while town planners began organising themselves in 1986.

According to him, the 10-year gap between the state’s creation and the emergence of an organised town-planning profession contributed to the challenges confronting its urban development.

He said, “Planning came late, to start with. The state was created in 1976, and town planners started organising themselves in 1986.

“This means that for 10 years after the state’s creation, what ought to be the first thing was not in existence. Planning, by its name, is foundational. Planning is what comes first.

“It’s like having a state where there are no medical doctors. So, we have not really done well. We came late.”

The professor further criticised successive administrations for failing to give physical planning the priority it deserved, pointing out that the Ogun State Regional Development Plan, introduced in 2005, came nearly three decades after the state was established.

He said the delay was compounded by the lack of political will to implement the plan effectively, leaving several communities exposed to uncoordinated development.

According to him, the existence of development plans on paper would not translate into meaningful results without deliberate implementation, adequate funding and institutional support.

Nubi, however, expressed optimism that Ogun could correct past mistakes by strengthening its planning institutions and ensuring that development decisions were guided by long-term strategies rather than immediate political considerations.

He said the establishment of new agencies to address urban development challenges was a positive step but insisted that such institutions must be adequately empowered to deliver on their mandates.

He added, “So, going forward, we can redeem. We can rebuild. We can replan.