The Anambra State Government has begun issuing demolition notices to more than 500 owners and occupiers of illegal, dilapidated and unsafe structures in Nnewi as part of Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s urban regeneration programme.
The exercise, being carried out by the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development, is aimed at restoring order, upgrading infrastructure and repositioning Nnewi as a modern industrial and commercial hub.
The Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Chijioke Oseloka Ojukwu, said the affected properties include shanties located under high-tension power lines, buildings without approved setbacks, unauthorised developments, as well as filling stations, hotels and other structures deemed unsafe.
He listed the affected locations to include the Nnewi Triangle axis, Hundred Foot Road, Post Office area, Anaedo Road, Igwe Orizu Road, Ezemewi Road, Nkwo axis and sections of the Nnewi–Owerri Road corridor.
Ojukwu explained that the demolition notices serve as formal warnings to property owners whose buildings encroach on road rights-of-way or fall within areas marked for redevelopment under the state’s urban renewal plan.
He added that the initiative is in line with Governor Soludo’s vision of creating a cleaner, safer and more organised urban environment, while restoring Nnewi’s position as a key industrial and commercial centre in the state.
