The Anambra State Government has intensified its urban renewal agenda in Nnewi with the commencement of enforcement actions against shanties and illegal structures obstructing the city’s planned development.
In line with Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s vision for a cleaner, more organized and modern urban environment, the State Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development has issued statutory notices to owners of unauthorized structures across key areas of Nnewi metropolis under the ongoing “Operation Zero Shanties” initiative.
Led by the Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Barrister Chijioke Ojukwu, officials of the ministry marked over five hundred shanties and illegal structures located around Nkwo Triangle, Jideofor Road, Eze-Nwegbu Road, White House Road by Agbo-Edo Nkwo Market, Agbo-Edo Motor Spare Parts Market and other parts of the commercial city.
Property owners have been given a two-week deadline to voluntarily remove the affected structures, failing which the government will proceed with demolition in accordance with extant laws.
Speaking after the exercise, Barrister Ojukwu explained that the action forms part of Governor Soludo’s broader urban renewal programme aimed at transforming Nnewi into a modern and orderly city. He disclosed that the demolition exercise will begin at the Nnewi Triangle area, where the state government plans to complete the long-abandoned Nnewi Triangle Mall, establish a central bus terminal and develop a recreational centre to enhance the city’s economic and social landscape.
The Commissioner reiterated that Anambra State’s physical planning regulations require a minimum setback of six metres for structures along highways, noting that several buildings were marked for violating the provision. He assured residents that enforcement efforts would continue across the state to ensure compliance with approved planning standards.
Barrister Ojukwu also cautioned developers against building on waterways and other unauthorized locations, emphasizing that physical planning laws are designed to promote sustainable development and environmental safety.
While acknowledging the concerns of affected residents, he appealed for understanding and cooperation, stressing that the exercise is not intended to cause hardship but to create a safer, cleaner and more functional urban environment for present and future generations.
According to him, the transformation of Nnewi and other urban centres in the state requires bold and necessary actions that will ultimately serve the greater good of the people.
