The Rivers State government has expressed its willingness to establish strategic partnerships with professional bodies in the building industry to promote sustainable development and create an environmentally friendly and economically viable built environment.
The state commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development Hon. Evans Bipi, disclosed this in Port Harcourt yesterday, when a delegation from the state chapter of the Nigerian Institute of Town Planners (NITP) visited him in his office.
Bipi acknowledged that as key development partners, town planners play a very critical role in fostering sustainable development and an egalitarian society.
The commissioner said he would leverage on the expertise of the town planners in delivering on the core mandate of the ministry in line with the urban renewal policy of Governor Siminalayi Fubara which aims at restoring the Garden City status of Port Harcourt and creating more livable cities outside Port Harcourt.
He also gave credence to a key recommendation of the Nigerian Institute of Town Planners on the need to strengthen the present Rivers State Physical Planning and Development Law No. 6 of 2003 in the face of emerging innovations in global urban development.
Bipi assured them that he would push for a review of the law through the State Executive Council and ensure that it is presented to the Rivers State House of Assembly for consideration.
The commissioner explained that the law’s review would create a more robust framework for guiding urban growth and development in Rivers State, thereby creating a more sustainable and equitable urban environment.
He assured the delegation of the Nigerian Institute of Town Planners that he would convey their message to the governor and recommendations regarding the urbanisation of the state.
Bipi also appealed to them to consider a downward review of their levies on developers in the state especially charges on Site Analysis Report and Location Plan as well as that of Environmental Impact Assessment Report.
Earlier in his address, the chairman of the Nigerian Institute of Town Planners, Rivers State Chapter, Dr. Simeipiri Johnbull, while congratulating the Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development on his appointment by the governor, pledged the support of the professional body to enable him to realise his goals for the Ministry in line with the governor’s vision.
He said the ministry can align its goals with the Sustainable Development Goal 11 by mitigating proliferation of slums in the state, containing urban sprawl and uncontrolled development, providing accessible and affordable transit options, fostering public participation in urban governance and securing public spaces for all residents.
