Nigeria lacks livable cities for businesses to strive – expert

Mr. Ajayi spoke at the Propertygate Development and Investment breakfast session with the theme: ‘Creating Living Cities: A Call for Physical and Environmental Solution Controls’ Enforcement.’
Citing the latest environmental ratings by The Economist, Intelligence Unit, Forbes, Mercer Consulting and Phillips Livable Cities among others, Ajayi said Nigeria was ranked among the worst countries in the world in the livable indices.
Simplifying the basic indices of an environmentally friendly country, Ajayi said  availability of portable water, constant power supply, security of lives and property and essentially, enforcement of relevant laws on traffic, land and building are handled as utmost priorities.
He said the characteristics of livable cities include having functional infrastructure, cities that are sustainable; safe, environmentally friendly and secure.
Ajayi explained that Nigerian cities have failed on most if not on all counts thus cannot qualify as livable cities.
He noted that: “the way we shape our cities profoundly affects our quality of life – physical and mental health, our opportunities for having friends and neighbours, and how we find a job and hold it.”
Ajayi also noted that livable cities “attracts investment,stimulate local economy, boost real estate value and markets, tourism,feel good feeling and pride.”
He said with the burgeoning populations across Nigeriancities and the rising situation of unplanned cities in Nigeria, thesociety must take deliberate steps to enforce strict controlsaround urban cities if Nigerian cities must experience some sanity andgraduate tolivability.
He called for sustained public enlightenment from both thepublic and private actions, community initiatives to enforce bestpractices like ensuring people don’t display wares on the roadside orunauthorised places.