As the world commemorates World Cities’ Day 2025, under the theme “People-centred Smart Cities,” the United Nations emphasises the critical need to scale and upgrade urban areas to meet the demands of growing populations and to foster more liveable environments.
Since its inception in 2014, the World Cities Day has marked the culmination of Urban October, aiming to raise awareness about urbanisation trends, associated challenges, and visions for sustainable development. This day encourages international cooperation towards building equitable, prosperous, and inclusive cities that enhance residents’ quality of life.
The UN underscores the urgent responsibility of governments worldwide, including Nigeria, with its projected population surpassing 400 million by 2030, to create habitable and sustainable environments amidst rapid urban growth.
In many developed nations, cities are known for being well-planned human conurbations.
Research by AI indicates that Copenhagen, Dublin, Madrid, and Porto rank among the most welcoming cities globally, thanks to their strategic urban planning and innovative policies.
With mankind’s evolving needs, the concept of smart cities has gained momentum. These cities leverage technology to optimise service delivery, streamlining essential and non-essential functions through automation and data-driven decision-making.
Smart city management simplifies budgeting processes and reduces bureaucratic bottlenecks, leading to more responsive urban governance.
Nigeria’s urban future depends heavily on upscaling its cities to operate more efficiently. Given the country’s demographics, effective planning, evaluation, monitoring, and quick emergency responses are vital components of a people-centred smart city.
Since 2014, the UN Human Settlements Programme has collaborated with host cities to demonstrate the transformative potential of smart urban systems.
This year, Bogotá, Colombia, is the chosen city, under the theme emphasising data-driven decision-making, technology, and AI applications in urban management.
The city aims to showcase how digital innovations can improve urban resilience, especially amidst current shocks and crises. It highlights the importance of fostering smart initiatives that prioritise human-centric development.
The theme emphasises the recognition that digital technology’s transformative power offers profound opportunities to redefine how cities are designed, managed, and governed worldwide.
As cities embrace digital solutions and utilise data, they are better equipped to address many critical urban challenges, ranging from transportation and waste management to public safety and environmental sustainability.
Across the globe, cities are adopting eco-friendly systems and improving public service management.
Nigeria’s leaders must follow suit in transforming their cities into liveable spaces. Currently, urban living in Nigeria is beset with significant challenges such as pollution, archaic city planning, and inadequate infrastructure.
Public ICT access, a hallmark of smart cities, is largely absent, and transportation relies heavily on commercial motorcycles and tricycles, known as okada and keke, respectively, an element that compromises urban safety and efficiency.
In places like Abuja and Lagos, efforts to curb okadas have met with mixed success.
Meanwhile, Nigeria’s cities suffer from poor planning, lacking critical infrastructure like clean water, green spaces, efficient waste disposal, and reliable electricity.
Traffic congestion, especially in Lagos, exemplifies the urgent need for comprehensive urban planning.
According to twi-global.com and Repsol, smart cities integrate data-driven public services, ensure safety and well-being, and utilise smart grids, energy conservation measures, and active citizen engagement.
The European Commission highlights features such as smart transportation networks, upgraded water and waste management systems, and intelligent building heating and lighting.
Enel X, an energy consultancy, notes that smart cities contribute to the global goals set by the 2008 Paris Agreement, including biodiversity protection and climate neutrality, aiming for benefits that extend to future generations.
These cities operate within a circular economy framework, employing technology and recycled materials for infrastructure development, resulting in cleaner air, lower pollution levels, reduced energy costs, and sustainable growth.
The path forward is clear. Nigeria must adopt these advanced smart city technologies to elevate the quality of urban life, making cities more resilient, sustainable, and liveable for all.
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Dieser Artikel ist neu veröffentlicht von / This article is republished from: Punch, 31.10.2025
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