The Nigerian Institute of Town Planners(NITP), Oyo State Chapter has urged government at all levels to always involve indigenous professionals in government planning activities.
This demand, amongst several others, was part of resolutions of the NITP, Oyo state Chapter, at the end of its 2024 capacity building held on 20th and 21st August in Ibadan.
The workshop was in collaboration with the Oyo State Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development.
The workshop had the Hon. Commissioner for Lands Housing and Urban Development, Mr Williams Akin-Funmilayo as special guest of honour.
The Commissioner urged the town planners to always adhere to ethical standards, and uphold integrity work to benefit the public interest and avoid conflict of interests.
Speaking on the theme of the workshop: Promoting Professionalism and Effective Town Planning Services Delivery”, the commissioner who was represented by the Director of Admin and Supplies in the ministry, Mr Laide Raji, emphasize that promoting professionalism and effective town planning services delivery in Oyo State should always be a priority for all stakeholders involved in the town planning process.
He noted that the current administration of Gov. Seyi Makinde, in its efforts to promote professionalism is working on the Amnesty programme for granting building permits within sixty (60) days in the state.
He explained that the Oyo Building Permit Amnesty (OYOBPA) is an initiative aimed at regularizing buildings that were constructed without proper Government approval or in violation of building regulations.
“We must recognize that effective town planning services delivery requires collaborative efforts between government officials, town planners, and developers. Therefore, it’s crucial to have effective communication channels to overcome the misunderstandings and conflicts that can arise from different opinions on planning decisions, “he said.
In a communique listing the resolutions, released at the end of the workshop, NITP urged the Town Planners registration council of Nigeria, the Nigeria Institute of Town Planners, and the Association of Town Planning Consultants of Nigeria, to collaborate with the institution’s offering of urban and regional planning on training, retraining, and mentoring of urban and regional planners.
The communique resolved that the Universities and Polytechnic offering urban and regional planning should collaborate with Town Planners registration council, National University Commission, and National Board for Technical Education, on regular review of their urban and regional planning curricula, to make them responsive to emerging contemporary issues in human settlements and development.
The experts expressed that the Indigenous approach should be empowered and developed as against foreign and alien techniques, in safeguarding the treasured local values.
The communique called effective partnership among Ministry of Lands, Housing, and Urban Development, Oyo State chapter of Nigeria Institute of Town Planners, and Oyo state branch of Association of Town Planning Consultants, to add concrete value to the vision of Oyo state governor, local government chairmen, the real estate developers, and the community development association.
The experts faulted shortage of qualified personnel in the agencies in charge of physical planning urging the state government to urgently employ qualified physical planners to fill the existing vacancies in the physical planning agencies to ensure effective physical planning service delivery in the state.
“There is now an urgent need for the Oyo state government to domesticate and implement the Nigerian urban and regional planning law of 2004(as amended) in line with the peculiarities of the state for effective physical planning service delivery.
The experts faulted the continued depletion of green space for transient economic gain. They called on the government to urgently address the challenge. The experts recommended routine public enlightenment to cope with similar bad practices from citizenry to promote greenery.
“There is an urgent need for unambiguous and prescriptive legislative instruments and policies on the green area development and protection in Oyo state, “the communique resolved.
The communique recommended that all allied professionals in the building industry in Oyo state should collaborate with Oyo state Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development on the Oyo building Amnesty Programme, with urban and regional planners in the approving agency responsible for its coordination.
The NITP, as part of its observations at the workshop identified professionalism as pre-conditioned for effective service delivery. The body noted that Knowledge, skill, ability and integrity are key elements of professionalism.
The professional body warned that “Wealth first, other things can follow” syndrome can lead to disrespect in society and among their professional colleagues.
“There is a correlation between professionalism, mentorship and effective service delivery. The promotion of professionalism and effective physical planning service industry in Oyo state is a priority for all stakeholders involved in the physical planning process, “NITP noted.
Earlier, the NITP Chairman in Oyo state, TPI. Prof. Musibau Omoakin Jelili, reiterated the need for capacity building and strategies for effective collaboration in physical planning delivery.
TPI Jelili who was also lead paper presenter at the workshop noted that only indigenous town planners can plan sustainably in Africa. The Chairman urged leaders to always engage indigenous planners for sustainable physical planning in the country.
The workshop which has practising planners and other stakeholders drawn from academics, government agencies and private sectors featured five paper presentations.
