A video is circulating via WhatsApp; it presents a proposed Smart City development in Akwa Ibom State by an entity called Hendai Investment, allegedly from China. The proposed Smart City is estimated to spread across 1.2 million miles of land. Further reference is made to its location: 47 km to the Ibom International Airport in Uyo, 100 km to the Ibaka Deep Seaport in Oron, and 157 km to Onne Seaport in Rivers State. In principle, the proposed Smart City could be welcomed and granted the necessary support, but details surrounding the initiative are sketchy. Although research shows an entity called Hendai Investment Ltd. was registered (RC: 1354443) on 15 August 2016 in Nigeria, the authenticity of the video is questionable, and the existence of Hendai Investment in China could not be verified.

In 1994, Cameroon filed in the Registry of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) an Application bringing proceedings against Nigeria over sovereignty of the Bakassi Peninsula – an oil-rich area wherein both countries had strong cultural ties. “Bob’s your uncle,” both countries were mired in a significant dispute. Following a 2002 ICJ ruling, the region was awarded to Cameroon. Nigeria relinquished its claim to the peninsula in 2006. At least 300,000 Nigerians were in Bakassi at the time, tantamount to 90 per cent of the population.

Backed by their rapid economic growth, multinational corporations (MNCs) are strategically emerging in developing countries; operating not only in the traditional manufacturing sector, but also in high-tech industries and finance. Now, a twist in the narrative. Though there might be some MNCs with good or genuine intentions, the unfolding reality is under the guise of development, others are usurping the local or host country’s authority, and engaging in land-grabbing practices.

Often, these dastardly acts are perpetrated via complicity of local actors. As a result, some cities or territories are morphing into platforms for power projection – gradually becoming important command and control nodes. In African cities, real power is in the hands of multiple actors. While government – at various levels – may exercise legal authority with some semblance of overarching power, in practice this is often not the case. Arguably, the ability of the State to govern largely depends on how it manages its affairs with external actors, who wield influence over global opportunities for growth.

Whilst much has been written about urban visioning processes and their consequences in countries of the Global North, seemingly many of these processes are not clearly understood in the Global South. Against a backdrop of chaos and decay, many actors in Africa with their own visions of progress are reinventing or rebranding the image of their cities. Followed by the clearing of beggars and street hawkers from city centres, regeneration activities include large-scale infrastructure projects aimed at bringing African cities to international standards.

As 21st century metropolises continue to experience significant population growth, urban development issues have become more complex and urgent. Africa’s highly productive ecosystems: mangrove swamps, estuaries, deltas and coral reefs are situated mostly in coastal zones, which form the basis for important economic activities such as fisheries, and tourism. About 40% of the population of West Africa live in coastal cities. In 2002, Dr. Indu Hewawasam projected that 500 km of coastline between Accra and the Niger delta will become a continuous urban megalopolis of more than 50 million inhabitants by 2020. The projected rise in sea level will have significant impacts on these coastal mega-cities because of the concentration of poor populations in potentially hazardous areas that may be especially vulnerable to such changes (Klein et al., 2002; Nicholls, 2004).

Debates on how to achieve a balance between economic growth and environmental sustainability are far from being over. Some people consider economic growth as inherently destructive of the environment; others deem it beneficial, or initially destructive but eventually beneficial. The Urban Environmental Transition (UET) theory posits: there is a series of distinct environmental challenges that cities experience during development. As cities become wealthier their environmental burdens shift in nature: moving from Brown to Grey, to Green environmental agenda challenges. Most environmental problems of cities in the Global South are Brown Agenda related, many associated with the development process.

Ensuring the right use of land is crucial. Once this valuable resource is scarred or poorly developed, it is costly to restore to its former character. A call in the foreword of the 1987 Brundtland Report “Our Common Future” still rings true today. The incisive report cited environmental protection, economic growth and social equity as the three pillars of sustainable development. Explicitly, whilst environmental considerations must reflect in economic and development decisions, environmental decisions must be part of socio-economic development.

The challenge is how best to design a city that will thrive economically and enable a decent quality of life for all its inhabitants. Critics – notably from the Global South – have argued that many of the international circulating urban models, policies and interventions tend to take a top-down approach, with grey areas over how these models address the role of local actors, or communities in the planning and implementation phases.

In economic sense, land, labour and capital are factors of production. Hence land use and management are priority issues in the local, State or National Security agenda. The world has witnessed wars over land or territory; this is not likely to change any time soon. Thus, drivers deserving close attention include land grabbing practices, climate change, competition for resources, poor land development or management etc. Ultimately, The Nigeria’s coastline and seaports are strategic assets that must be jealously guarded. Sharp practices by a few acting single-handedly or as a collective in an attempt to sell off or compromise national assets must be checked. God bless Nigeria.

•Inuen is of the International Network of Engineers & Scientists for Global Responsibility (INES).