The planning of development involves procedures to ensure that national policies and strategies are achieved and that development issues at all levels are fully incorporated into the overall national development goals, which is a continual global concern. In Nigeria, there have been development planning initiatives and programs, but these efforts do not appear to yield tangible developmental outcomes based on all indicators. This research, which relied on valuable secondary data sources, thoroughly examined the challenges of development planning in Nigeria. It also argued that development planning in Nigeria has been hindered over the years by the failure of Nigerian leadership to envision true development and prioritize it. Furthermore, it contended that various factors such as misplaced priorities, poor adherence to plans, inadequate executive capacity and public sector inefficiency, technology transfer challenges, systemic corruption, and ineffective public-private partnerships have made a genuine development path somewhat elusive. The study concluded with valuable comments and recommendations, including the need for a genuine development plan, enhanced public sector efficiency and adherence, improved collaboration between the public and private sectors, and a change in attitude to create a conducive environment for the desired development in Nigeria