Urban planning experts have warned that increasing violations of planning permit regulations are undermining orderly physical development across Nigeria, contributing to building collapses, flooding, environmental degradation, and significant economic losses. They say the growing trend of commencing construction without obtaining statutory approvals is weakening the country’s urban planning framework and exposing communities to avoidable risks.

According to industry stakeholders, many developers and property owners continue to adopt a “build first, regularise later” approach, largely due to lengthy approval processes, bureaucratic bottlenecks, and the high cost of obtaining planning permits. Experts argue that while these challenges exist, bypassing planning regulations compromises public safety and sustainable urban growth.

Professionals in the built environment noted that planning approvals are essential because they ensure developments comply with approved land use, structural standards, environmental requirements, and safety regulations before construction begins. They stressed that proper supervision by planning authorities throughout the construction process significantly reduces the risk of structural failures and other hazards.

Recent enforcement actions by several state governments, particularly in Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, and the Federal Capital Territory, have targeted illegal developments through building seals, demolitions, permit regularisation programmes, and digital approval systems. Authorities believe these measures will improve compliance while promoting safer and more organised urban development.

Experts have also recommended the adoption of fully digital planning permit systems, transparent approval charges, public awareness campaigns, and stronger enforcement to encourage voluntary compliance. They believe technology-driven approval processes can reduce delays, minimise corruption, and make regulatory compliance more accessible for developers and homeowners.

Stakeholders maintain that strengthening planning permit compliance is critical to protecting lives and property, improving infrastructure delivery, and supporting sustainable housing and real estate development across Nigeria’s rapidly growing cities.

The post Planning Permit Violations Fuel Unsafe Urban Development, Experts Warn appeared first on Housing TV Africa.

The Minister of Regional Development, Engr. Abubakar Momoh, has urged the Nigerian Institute of Town Planners (NITP) to intensify its engagement with the National Assembly in pursuing constitutional amendments that would strengthen physical planning and regional development across Nigeria. He said legislative reforms are necessary to improve coordinated planning and support balanced national development.

Speaking during a meeting with the leadership of the NITP in Abuja, the minister advised the institute to advocate for the transfer of town planning from the residual legislative list to the concurrent legislative list. According to him, such a constitutional amendment would provide a stronger legal framework for effective physical planning and regional development across the country.

Momoh also responded to the institute’s request for increased recruitment of professional town planners into the federal civil service. He explained that employment decisions fall under the responsibility of the Federal Civil Service Commission but directed the ministry’s Permanent Secretary to formally document the manpower needs and forward them to the appropriate authorities for consideration during future recruitment exercises.

The minister further encouraged town planning consultants to register with relevant federal agencies to improve their eligibility for consultancy opportunities. He also disclosed that the Ministry of Regional Development has submitted four strategic policy frameworks to the Federal Executive Council, focusing on spatial equity, regional economic transformation, infrastructure connectivity, and human capital development. He noted that professional town planners would play a key role in implementing these policies once approved.

Earlier, NITP President, Dr. Ogbonna Chime, called for stronger collaboration between the institute and the ministry. He advocated the establishment of a dedicated town planning department within the ministry, increased recruitment of qualified town planners, and greater involvement of professionals in preparing and implementing regional development plans across Nigeria.

Stakeholders believe the proposed constitutional amendment could strengthen urban planning, improve land use management, and support more sustainable infrastructure and housing development across the country.

The post Minister Urges NITP to Pursue Constitutional Amendment for Better Physical Planning appeared first on Housing TV Africa.

The Nigerian Institute of Town Planners (NITP) has called for deeper collaboration with the Federal Character Commission (FCC) to strengthen infrastructure planning, promote balanced national development and create more employment opportunities for professional town planners across Nigeria.

The appeal was made during a courtesy visit by the NITP National President, Dr. Chime Ogbonna, and members of the institute’s leadership to the Executive Chairman of the Federal Character Commission, Mrs. Hulayat Motunrayo Omidiran, in Abuja.

Speaking during the meeting, Ogbonna said both institutions share a common objective of ensuring equitable and sustainable development across the country.

He explained that while the NITP is responsible for preparing national physical development plans, regional development frameworks and urban master plans, the FCC plays a critical role in ensuring the fair distribution of public infrastructure, opportunities and resources across Nigeria’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.

The NITP president urged the commission to strengthen its technical capacity by recruiting more professional town planners and engaging consultant planners to provide expert guidance on the location and development of major government projects.

According to him, involving qualified town planners in infrastructure planning would ensure that projects align with approved master plans, enhance service delivery and support orderly physical development nationwide.

Ogbonna also expressed concern over reports that positions reserved for town planners in some public institutions were being occupied by professionals from unrelated disciplines.

He called for greater recognition of the profession in public sector recruitment and appointments, stressing that proper urban and regional planning remains essential for sustainable development.

Responding, FCC Executive Chairman, Mrs. Hulayat Omidiran, welcomed the delegation and reaffirmed the commission’s willingness to collaborate with the institute.

She acknowledged the technical expertise of town planners and noted that the commission would benefit from professional input in ensuring that infrastructure projects are aligned with existing master plans and national development priorities.

Omidiran stated that the FCC remains committed to engaging professional bodies whose contributions support national growth and development.

She added that effective planning and stronger institutional collaboration are critical to managing the rapid expansion of Nigeria’s cities and communities while ensuring sustainable development outcomes.

The meeting was attended by FCC commissioners representing Taraba and Lagos states, as well as senior officials of the NITP, including the Second National Vice President, Tpl. Dr. Garba Jibrin; National Secretary, Tpl. Dr. Zayyanu Muhammad; Chairman of the NITP Presidential Committee on Youth Employment, Tpl. PK Lami Ayuba; Acting Executive Secretary, Tpl. Jide Bananola; and representatives of the Young Planners Forum of the FCT Chapter.

The post Town Planners Seek Stronger Partnership With FCC to Boost Infrastructure Development, Job Creation appeared first on Housing TV Africa.

The former Dean of the Faculty of Environmental Sciences at the University of Lagos, Professor Leke Oduwaye, has described town planners as “prophets” of housing and urban development, emphasizing that strategic planning is essential to prevent uncoordinated growth and costly demolitions. Speaking at the 2025 Annual General Meeting of the Nigerian Institute of Town Planners (NITP), Ogun State Chapter, held in Abeokuta, Oduwaye stressed the need for forward-thinking settlement planning to ensure sustainable urban expansion.

The meeting, which carried the theme “Conflicting Rationalities: The Challenge of Urban and Physical Development in Nigeria,” brought together key stakeholders in the built environment to reflect on the growing complexities of urban growth in Nigeria. According to Oduwaye, the role of the planner is predictive and preventive. “Planners are like prophets,” he said. “They envision what settlements should become using knowledge, theory, and legal frameworks that guide development.”

He warned that Ogun State, one of Nigeria’s fastest-growing regions, risks slipping into urban chaos if it continues to expand without comprehensive and well-funded spatial planning. “It doesn’t cost much to plan. Government can start small—perhaps one town per senatorial district—allocating funds annually for the development of master plans,” he suggested. Oduwaye also pointed to several underlying factors driving disjointed development, including political interference, lack of funding, the presence of unqualified practitioners, and ethnic influences. He proposed reforms such as a streamlined “one-desk system” for planning approvals, land swap models to fund consultancy services, and the development of bankable master plans that could attract private sector support.

In his remarks, the Chairman of NITP Ogun State Chapter, Tpl. Adefela Sogbesan, addressed a widespread public misconception that town planners are responsible only for demolition activities. “There’s a belief that planners are out to demolish buildings,” he said. “But with proper professional input from the beginning, buildings will be sited correctly, eliminating the need for demolition entirely.”

Representing the Ogun State Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Tpl. Olatunji Odunlami, senior official Mr. John Olutunde reiterated the government’s commitment to updating housing and urban planning laws to align with evolving realities. He commended the institute’s efforts and assured participants of the state’s ongoing support for professional planning initiatives.

The meeting closed with a collective call for more transparent planning processes, improved public education, and enhanced collaboration among government agencies, professionals, and communities to safeguard Nigeria’s urban future.

The post Planners Are Prophets of Development – UNILAG Don Warns Ogun Against Uncoordinated Growth appeared first on Housing TV Africa.

The President of the Nigerian Institute Of Town Planners, TPL. Dr Chime Ogbonna have urged both the federal government and the Lagos state government to come to an agreement on the issue of demolition of 170 estates along the construction of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal highway

Dr Chime Ogbonna in his remarks during an exclusive interview with Housing Tv, urged both parties to look at the structures one by one and find a way to minimize wastage, adding that the country’s investment should not be put to waste so easily

“The truth is that any structure not approved by law anywhere in the country is an illegal structure and could be pulled down anytime but this is a very special one because we are talking about over 170 estates not 170 buildings

“If those estates were not approved by the Lagos state government in accordance to the prevailing law, the state has the right to remove them. This is a very huge number, so consideration should be given to the fact that whoever the estate owners are, they are Nigerians and we used Nigerian money to build those estates”

“I would advice the lagos state government to take a look at those estates one by one if there are some that could be managed by instructing the owners to provide one facility or the other, i think will minimize the waste”

Dr Chime Ogbonna further pleaded that both parties shouldn’t go into a tussle on the issue but rather seek amicable solutions

“I wouldn’t want the federal government and the Lagos state government to go into a tussle over this. If we go strictly by law, the federal government has to agree with the state on what should be removed and what should be allowed to stay in the course of constructing that important coastal road”, he stated.

The post NITP President Calls for Dialogue Over Demolition of 170 Estates on Lagos Coastal Road appeared first on Housing TV Africa.

Dr Chime Ogbonna In an exclusive interview with Housing Tv, called on the government to provide a town planning law that would guide the activities of planners

“The major challenge facing town planners is that Nigeria as a country is working without any town planning laws guiding our activities”

“In 1992, the federal government in its wisdom promulgated what we call today The Nigerian Urban Regional planning law and that law from what we know took over all town planning activities in Nigeria. It repelled every town planning law that ever existed in Nigeria before 1992”

“As we speak that law is not being implemented in this country, worse at the federal level  because we are supposed to have in line with the provision of that law the National Urban and Regional commission at the federal level. That commission will be constituted by town planners, architects, land surveyors, builders, quantity surveyors, lawyers, civil engineers but because the commission is not in place, things go the way they should not go”

The President further urged government to review its laws and make provisions for adequate checkmate and implementation to avoid loss of properties and natural disasters such as flooding in the near future

The post NITP President Urges Full Implementation of Urban and Regional Planning Law appeared first on Housing TV Africa.