**Abstract**

Urban administration has been a challenge in the developing economy especially in historical traditional settlements. Growth of these cities often outstrips the capacities of urban managers to administer urban systems coupled with the fact that developments in the older parts and new areas require different strategies. Therefore it is often recommended that digital technologies be adopted to enhance administration of old and new areas in urban settings. The chapter evaluated the challenges of urban administration in Ibadan city, Nigeria from colonial period to recent urban planning systems. It advanced a model of municipal administration in a digital platform for efficient management of Ibadan city. The model is also applicable to any similar cities in the developing economy. The model recommended a replacement paper and maps approach administration to digital approach. The chapter highlighted the deficiency of the current paper and map approach and advanced efficient approach through digital technologies.

**Keywords:** urban administration, spatial data infrastructures, traditional city, digital urban administration, urban systems, physical planning, data sharing

### **1. Introduction**

The challenge of urban administration particularly in the traditional urban setting like Ibadan is huge as development of these cities is constrained by many factors. The growth of cities in most less-developed economy often outstrips the capacities of the urban managers [1], coupled with the fact that outdated methods are often used to govern urban areas. The city handlers struggle to manage traditional organic urban systems with very low resources and expertise [2]. Ibadan city had adopted different styles of urban administration ranging from crude traditional approach, colonial administration method, and current post independence arrangement (Fabiyi, 2017, 2006) [3]. During the pre-colonial era, Ibadan had different quarters that were guarded and administered by the warlords or chiefs. The quarter chiefs reported to the central warlord who was an army general or Bashorun, the ultimate ruler of the territory but the Army General of the Yoruba Kingdom. Ibadan remained the military camp of the defunct Oyo Empire until the arrival of colonial government in Nigeria. The institution of colonial administration converted Ibadan city to a district under the administration of a district officer. Later Ibadan city was under the administration of the Ibadan metropolitan authority, which

superintended planning and urban administration activities in Ibadan city [3]. Under the 1976 Land use Act, the lands in the cities were put under the custodianship of the state executive governors while the custodianship of rural lands were under the control of the local government administration and the chairmen [4] (Fabiyi, 2006). The state governors combine the administration of the state with that of the capital cities, a responsibility that is considered to be too burdensome for a single administration. There were no mayoral platforms or municipal administration to superintend the management of the city. Later in 1991, Ibadan city was fractionated into 11 local government area councils, therefore putting the city under the control of 11 chairmen and Head of Local government Administration (HLA), each of whom controlled a fraction of the city.

The chapter examines issues around the implementation of digital urban administration in Ibadan and proposes a model for a robust digital urban administration in Ibadan city, Nigeria. It suggests organogram, technical arrangement, and training program to ensure successful implementation considering the low resources available for such activity in a developing country like Nigeria. It identified geo databases and Urban Spatial Data Infrastructure as ingredients in achieving sustainable digital urban administration in Ibadan or any similar organic city of a developing economy.
