The Nigerian Institute of Town Planners (NITP) has called on the Abia State government to fully implement the Nigerian Urban and Regional Planning Law by establishing the State Urban and Regional Planning Agency, Local Planning Authorities and other statutory bodies needed to ensure orderly development.
NITP President, Dr. Chime Ogbonna, made the appeal in Umuahia during the inauguration of Dr. Vera Okoye as the new National Chairman of the Association of Women Town Planners in Nigeria (AWTPN).
Ogbonna noted that although Abia was among the first states to domesticate the national planning law, its benefits have not been fully realised due to institutional gaps.
“Good intentions must be guided by proper planning procedures,” he said. “The NITP is ready to partner with Abia State to strengthen planning institutions and personnel.”
He described Okoye’s inauguration as symbolic, representing leadership renewal and a renewed commitment to using town planning as a tool for national transformation.
He praised AWTPN for its growing visibility and advocacy milestones, expressing confidence that the new leadership would strengthen professional development, mentorship and policy engagement.
Ogbonna encouraged the executives to champion innovative programmes that empower women in planning and inspire young professionals while deepening community participation in spatial development.
Okoye Sets Visionary Agenda
In her inaugural address, Dr. Okoye called for stronger collaboration, enhanced professional capacity and robust advocacy for women’s leadership within the planning profession.
She unveiled her administration’s strategic framework — the C.R.E.A.T.I.V.E.S Visionary Goals (CVG) — focusing on collaboration, interventions, empowerment, advocacy, training, inspiration, visionary action, enlightenment and sustainable mentorship.
Okoye pledged closer collaboration with NITP, the Town Planners Registration Council (TOPREC), ministries, state planning agencies and civil society groups to ensure the full implementation of the 1992 Urban and Regional Planning Law across the country.
“Our aim is to ensure the planning law is not an archival document but a working tool that produces better outcomes for communities and investors,” she said.
She also announced plans to strengthen AWTPN’s internal cohesion through unified chapter activities, mentorship structures, digital training programmes and knowledge-sharing platforms.
Okoye promised assertive advocacy for women’s inclusion in leadership structures and initiatives to promote the achievements of women planners. She also outlined plans for school outreach programmes to inspire young girls to pursue careers in urban planning.
Outgoing Chair Highlights Achievements
Earlier, outgoing national chairman Mrs. Rekiyat Fache announced that AWTPN’s membership had grown from 140 to 709 under her leadership, with 10 new states joining the association. She also highlighted the association’s role in safeguarding the Osun-Osogbo Grove from delisting as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Fache noted that AWTPN chapters across Nigeria carried out planning interventions such as partial slum upgrades, building repairs, drainage cleanups, market sanitation, tree planting and climate action projects.
