Rapid urbanisation, population growth, infrastructure expansion and climate change have intensified environmental pressures in Nigerian cities. These pressures are evident in incompatible land uses, informal development, encroachment on floodplains and drainage channels, loss of green areas, traffic congestion, pollution and building failures. This paper examines how development control tools can be utilised to achieve environmental sustainability, the challenges limiting their effectiveness and the prospects for reform. A qualitative desk-review method was adopted, drawing on contemporary Nigerian and African research, planning and environmental legislation, international urban-policy reports and professional practice in Nasarawa State. The paper identifies development plans, zoning, development permits, planning standards, subdivision and change-of-use control, Environmental Impact Assessment, Site Analysis Reports, inspection, enforcement, Geographic Information Systems, remote sensing, drone technology and public participation as key tools. Properly applied, these instruments can protect environmentally sensitive land, promote efficient urban form, reduce disaster exposure, safeguard infrastructure and improve public health. Their effectiveness is nevertheless weakened by implementation gaps, political interference, inadequate staffing and funding, obsolete plans, fragmented institutional responsibilities, poor data and low public awareness. The paper proposes an Integrated Sustainable Development Control Framework that combines law, professional capacity, digital systems, inter-agency coordination, public accountability and climate-responsive standards. It concludes that development control must shift from reactive approval and demolition to preventive, evidence-based and environmentally accountable urban governance.