Nigerian Institute of Town Planners (NITP) has called on the National Universities Commission (NUC) and the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) to strictly enforce the policy requiring higher institutions to prepare and implement campus master plans.
NITP national president, Dr Ogbonna Chime, made the call during a press conference and the inauguration of the programmes of the Presidential Committee on the National Assembly in Abuja.
He expressed concern that many universities, polytechnics and colleges of education still operate without approved campus master plans, describing the situation as a recipe for disorderly development.
According to Chime, the absence of these vital documents has fuelled confusion in appointing directors of physical planning in higher institutions.
“Conventionally, a consultant town planner prepares the master plan for a campus. Once approved by the relevant town planning agency, the document guides the institution’s physical growth and development,” he said.
The NITP also warned state governments against mistaking Geographic Information Systems (GIS) for urban and regional planning, land surveying or land administration.
“GIS is not an end in itself but a tool that relies on the work of traditional professional departments such as planning, surveying and land to be relevant,” Chime explained.
He further urged that only professionals with strong backgrounds in these disciplines should be appointed to head GIS units to avoid conflicts of interest.
The institute commended the federal government for establishing the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, ratifying the New Urban Development Policy, and creating the Ministry of Regional Development alongside regional development commissions.
It also praised the Lagos State Government for implementing the Urban and Regional Planning Law, the FCT minister for measures taken to actualise parts of the Abuja Master Plan, the Enugu State Government for setting up 56 Town Planning Authorities, and Plateau State for commissioning master plans for settlements.
Former minister of state for the Federal Capital Territory, Ramatu Tijani Aliyu, who now chairs the NITP National Assembly Liaison Committee, pledged to advocate for policies that promote sustainable development and elevate the profession’s visibility.
She said the committee would work closely with stakeholders to drive Nigeria’s growth through effective urban and regional planning.
