Education
NITP urges govt to adopt 10-year regional development plans, elects Ogboi as National President – EnviroNews
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The Nigerian Institute of Town Planners (NITP) has called on the Federal Government to extend the country’s regional development planning framework from the current four years to a minimum of 10 years to ensure continuity, consistency and sustainable development.
The institute also urged federal and state governments to make physical planning an integral part of national and regional development decision-making, warning that weak institutional commitment, poor coordination and inadequate implementation of existing policies were undermining Nigeria’s development prospects.
The institute made the recommendations in a communiqué issued at the end of its 57th International Conference and Annual General Meeting, held at the Balmoral Convention Centre, Sheraton Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos, from October 26 to 30, 2026.
The conference, which attracted 2,846 participants, had as its theme, “Shaping the Future of Regional Development through Physical Planning.”
The event also witnessed the election of Prof. Kingsley C. Ogboi, as the new National President of the institute for the 2026/2027 administrative year.
Ogboi will be supported by Dr. Garba Jibrin, as First National Vice President, and Prince Effiong Akpan, as Second National Vice President.
Other elected members of the National Executive Committee include Dr. Edmund Chinem Nwokaeze, as National Secretary; Prof. Oluwole Philip Daramola, as First Assistant National Secretary; and Abdulfatai Olanrewaju Anofi, as Second Assistant National Secretary.
Adekemi Oluwayemisi Ologun, was elected National Treasurer, while Sani Adamu, emerged as National Financial Secretary. Dr. Sabina Chiaka Nnenne Osuji, was elected National Auditor.
The new National Public Relations Secretary is Akpabio Ufot-Akpabio, while Michael Adewale Adebayo, was elected Assistant National Public Relations Secretary.
The four ex-officio members are Dr. Andrew Ogbonna Chime, Dr. Muhammed Zayyanu; Olanike Elizabeth Abiola; and Soledotun Titilope Abdulkarim-Yusuf.
Other committee leadership positions went to Emmanuel Ikechukwu as Chairman, Practice Committee; Rekiyat Ahuoiza Fache as Chairman, Publications Committee; and Akeem Oladimeji Adebayo as Chairman, Membership Committee.
In its communiqué, the institute stressed that Nigeria must move beyond preparing regional development plans to ensuring their effective implementation through appropriate institutional arrangements, adequate financing, monitoring systems and accountability mechanisms.
It observed that although regional development structures and policies existed at national and state levels, their effectiveness had been undermined by political considerations and weak institutional commitment.
According to the institute, several states and regions either lack functional regional development plans or have failed to implement existing ones effectively, creating a significant gap between policy formulation and actual development outcomes.
The conference also identified insufficient collaboration among Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones as a major obstacle to balanced regional development.
It noted that many development challenges, particularly those relating to infrastructure, housing, environmental management and socio-economic development, transcend individual state boundaries and therefore require coordinated regional responses.
The NITP consequently called for stronger collaboration among state governments and other regional stakeholders, including the institutionalisation of strategic inter-state meetings and mechanisms for coordinating development initiatives.
It further emphasised the need for clearly defined relationships among the Federal Government, regional development commissions, state governments, local governments and planning institutions to address challenges that cut across administrative boundaries.
The institute expressed concern over the limited involvement of urban and regional planners in strategic decision-making at federal and state levels.
It noted that planners were often engaged only after development problems had emerged, rather than being involved proactively in policy formulation, development planning and decision-making.
To address this, the conference called for a repositioning of the planning profession as a strategic driver of territorial transformation.
It urged planners to move beyond their traditional roles as development-control officers and plan preparers to become territorial strategists, development coordinators, geospatial analysts, infrastructure planners, policy advisers and environmental managers.
The institute also urged NITP, the Town Planners Registration Council of Nigeria (TOPREC) and planning education institutions to strengthen professional competencies in regional economics, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), spatial data management, climate resilience, development finance, scenario planning and implementation.
On housing, the conference identified the country’s persistent housing deficit as a major challenge to regional development, calling for a review and strengthening of existing housing policies.
It stressed the need to pay greater attention to social settlement planning to ensure that housing interventions deliver meaningful results.
The conference also expressed concern over implementation gaps in the Nigerian Urban and Regional Planning Law, noting that its inadequate implementation in some states had weakened efforts to address physical planning challenges.
It therefore urged state governments to domesticate and enforce the planning law, warning that failure to implement its provisions undermined the objectives of effective physical and regional development.
The NITP further called for a direct link between spatial planning, development finance, infrastructure programming, public budgets and private-sector investment.
It maintained that governments should establish financing mechanisms that would ensure regional development plans translate into actual programmes, projects and measurable outcomes.
The institute also advocated a shift from administrative-boundary-based planning to strategies that reflect functional economic, social, environmental and spatial relationships among communities and regions.
This, it said, would enable development planning to respond more effectively to the realities of interconnected economies, infrastructure systems and environmental challenges.
Two lead papers were presented at the conference, alongside 17 other papers delivered across three parallel sessions.
The first lead paper, presented by the Vice-Chancellor of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Prof. Adamu Ahmed, was titled “Physical Planning as the Driver of Regional Development.”
Ahmed highlighted the importance of establishing functional planning regions and identified the disconnect between plan preparation and implementation as one of the major challenges confronting physical planning in Nigeria.
He called on physical planners to adopt strategic approaches, strengthen collaboration with other professionals and position themselves to influence development decisions.
The paper also argued that the success of physical planning should be measured by its actual contribution to territorial development rather than simply the preparation of plans.
The second lead paper, presented by Mr. Rabah Ait Ali, examined “Regional Development Plans in Nigeria.”
Using the South-West region as a case study, the paper advocated a transition from fragmented state-by-state physical planning to an integrated regional development framework.
It emphasised the need for coordinated planning across the six states of the South-West, particularly in land use, infrastructure, economic development, environmental management, investment and governance.
The conference was declared open by the Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, represented by the Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Dr. Oluyinka Abiodun Olumide.
The keynote address was delivered by the Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Dr. Muttaqha Rabe Darma, represented by Wemimo Adejobi.
Goodwill messages were also delivered by the leadership of professional planning organisations in Nigeria, Ghana, Uganda and Cameroon, as well as representatives of international planning bodies, government officials and traditional rulers.
Among the dignitaries recognised with awards was the Emir of Zazzau, Ambassador Ahmed Nuhu Bamalli, CFR, who was represented by the Tambarin Zazzau, Alhaji Sulaiman Saidu Bamalli.
The institute, in its concluding remarks, appealed to governments and other stakeholders to implement the conference’s recommendations to promote equitable and sustainable regional development.
