EFFECTIVE URBAN GOVERNANCE FOR CITY MANAGEMENT AND SUSTAINABILITY IN NIGERIA

The study seeks to understand urban governance and its relationship with city sustainability by identifying problems associated with poor governance while recommending strategies that promote effective governance for sustainability. It reviewed relevant literature on governance, urban problems and sustainability issues in the Nigerian context and presenting the findings in tables and chart. The study reveal that cities face significant governance gaps due to weak institutional frameworks, corruption, inadequate community and private sector participation limiting transparency and accountability. Administratively many governments lack experts who understand use of economic flows and social outcomes in managing cities leading to increased slums, poor infrastructure, abandoned projects, water and air pollution, low employment and increased crime. The adoption of collaborative governance and urban political ecology strategies will effectively improve urban governance as it increases community and private sector participation fostering collaboration among all levels of governments. This leads to protection of vulnerable groups and the environment, improving urban sustainability as different groups have their socioeconomic and environmental interests addressed. There are challenges to using these strategies but constant dialogue, programme monitoring and interfacing will help improve these strategies for the socioeconomic and environmental sustainability of Nigerian cities.