As part of efforts to aid societal development, the Chairman, Nigeria Economic Summit Group (NESG), Olaniyi Yusuf, has called for the adoption of Artificial Intelligence in the activities of town planners in Nigeria.
Yusuf stated this while speaking as a guest speaker at the 11th Waheed Kadiri Lecture series organised by the Nigeria Institute of Town Planners (NITP), Ogun State chapter, held in Abeokuta.
The lecture series was held in honour of former president of the NITP, Alhaj Waheed Kadiri, for his relentless contributions to the progress of the physical planning profession in Nigeria.
The NESG boss who spoke on “Global Trends Re-imagining Cities for Sustainable Development and Shared Prosperity” stressed that adoption of AI by town planners would lead to significant productivity.
He admonished town planners on the need to grow and be innovative due to the rapid technological advancement, climate change and shift in societal dynamics.
Quoting Statista, a leading statistics database, the NESG boss revealed that the global market for AI is estimated to be $243.7bn in 2025, adding that such potential can be harnessed to bring about more development into the country.
“AI is transforming industries at a breakneck pace, and urban planning is no exception. From AI agents assisting with planning stimulation to drones mapping cities in real-time, the possibilities are endless and town planners must be trained to adopt AI into their daily operations.
“This will lead to a significant productivity boost and faster output rate. However, these advancements come with potential disruptions,” he said.
Yusuf also lamented the claim that over 33 million people in Nigeria are at risk of deep hunger due to food insecurity.
He advised that the town planners must enable agriculture, transportation corridors, processing zones and industrial areas by strategically designing urban space to promote sustainable food production and improve access to good markets.
The Rector of Moshood Abiola Polytechnic (MAPOLY), Abeokuta, Babatunde Jolaosho, urged the town planners not to only indulge in construction of buildings, rather they should also engage in activities that would grow the economy.
“Urban planning is not just about construction of buildings and roads, rather indulge in activities that foster economic growth,” Jolaosho said.
and then