What is in street naming?

Name is a simple word but with very plenty at stake. It gives an object, subject or even abstract space their identity or recognition. To a person it gives his personality. Our days and months are named in order to have reference to time both past, present and future. To streets and properties is in order to identify location very vital to communication, delivery of goods and services and all other human interactions. Without name there shall be a universal confusion. According to the popular literature Sizwi Bansi is Dead, name is for identity, credibility and pride. As the pride of our nation having a street named after someone or his locality in Abuja it symbolises tremendous recognition.

Street naming exercise has been on since the beginning of the development of Abuja but had never been subjected to a hot debate until recently when it was announced during the 48th independent anniversary that the federal government has renamed 83 streets in Abuja after prominent Nigerians and some foreign nationals who contributed to the development of the country. In as much as there are reasons for taking steps to correct the anomalies in the manner street naming activities in the city had been carried out, it is important to also note that the exercise is an activity guided by professional and not to entirely depend on political considerations.

Road names by themselves emphasise the functions performed around the road; provide an idea of destination, characteristics of the area through which it is passing or destined. They however, do not give any idea of location with respect to the whole town and as such prove difficult to use in an attempt to locate addresses of different places for a visitor. Also the repetition of names likely in this system could create a lot of confusion.  

For a visitor to a hamlet, it is very easy to locate anybody’s house because everyone knows each other’s house. The same is practically impossible in the case of a metropolis unless specific system is used in numbering the house/property and naming the street as well. This system is also essential for the efficiency of postal services, census exercise, property registration and other service like fire, lighting, transportation, repair and distribution of utilities. Urban centers with large population and vast expanse have very complex problem of street naming and property numbering.

Each community selects its own system of street numbering and with the growth expansion and consolidation of communities there is the mixture of systems in the large cities. However, the haphazard and confused method of selecting street names often leads to duplication of names and in several cases different names are given to different sections of the same street. This is not different with what is being experienced in the capital city. As it is street naming and house property numbering system are not detached.

Various systems of street naming and house numbering have been evolved and are used in different countries depending on their cultural backgrounds and customs. It is very difficult to trace out the evolution of systems in every country along with the factors responsible for their present shape. However, in an unpublished work by G.P. Khanna an attempt is made for a distinction between the developed and developing countries.

Street naming systems are broadly categorised into two; one is based on giving specific numbers while the other uses names for the same purpose. Under the names designated, streets are given specific names depending on certain criteria. The number system on the other hand utilises purely scientific methods of geometry of co-ordinates and hierarchy to designate numbers on streets. These numbers provide direction to the visitor to trace out specific places and they establish no relationship with the places and its destination.    

In the developed countries, three systems are used. They are: Street and Avenue system; Quadrant system; Co-ordinate system and the fourth combined the characteristics of the three referred to as mixed system. In developing countries street naming systems are based mostly on the name rather than number designation. These names are given in relation to the function of the road and area through which it is passing by. Hierarchy of the road is established within the total urban/rural network in relation to the function it is performing. In some places the numbering system is also followed along with the naming system.

Street designation, where applicable depends upon any one or a consideration of the direction; persons such as rulers; freedom fighters; politicians; scientists etc. topographical and landscape features; function performed around; important places; origin and destination and important events. These are not altogether the complete list of criteria used in the name designation system and it grossly depends on different countries. However, generally it gives a feeling of belonging to the residents of the area.

To a city like Abuja with both national and international significance, the system or consideration of systems adopted should give feeling of belonging to all Nigerians in particular and Africa in general. And so is it from Garki I and II districts where we have the streets named after all local government headquarters in the country, to Wuse I and II districts where they are named after major rivers in Nigeria, Africa and around the world. In the Maitama A6 Cadastral Zone, streets are named after major rivers in the country, Africa and around the world, while in the A5 Cadastral Zone or the Aso Drive area they are named after major rocks and mountains in Nigeria.

At the AYA section of the Asokoro District they are named after Nigerians distinguished in our national development while the other section after renowned freedom fighters around the world. The central area district is the only exception where the avenue system of street naming is adopted in the phase I. Meanwhile, the major arterial roads in the city are named after prominent nationalists and past leaders. Such are how our streets accompanied with the house numberings are named, exactly how my great teacher Mr. G.P Khanna wrote in his unpublished work. He could not have done better.

This article was first published on October 15, 2008

المصدر: Daily Trust (NG)