• Partners RTPI to address urban challenges in cities

The Nigerian Institute of Town Planners (NITP) has petitioned the National Assembly over a bill that has passed second reading in the Senate seeking to establish the Chartered Institute of Planning of Nigeria, warning that the proposed legislation could create legal conflicts and institutional confusion within the planning profession.

According to the petition, the proposed institute is mandated to develop and raise planning standards across all sectors of life, enhance the quality of plan implementation to achieve set objectives, and establish and maintain a register of fellows, associates, chartered planners and honorary planners.

It is also expected to set standards of knowledge, skills and competence for membership, license and register practitioners across identified faculties, and establish training institutions to provide education and professional development for students and members.

Other proposed functions include promoting a culture of planning and effective plan implementation at individual, institutional, national and international levels; creating public awareness on the relevance of planning in modern society; encouraging research to improve planning skills and techniques; and facilitating efficient resource management to achieve optimal outcomes.

Confirming the development, NITP President, Dr Ogbonna Chime, said the contents, name and objectives of the bill conflict with the existing Nigerian Institute of Town Planners, a long-established professional body. He faulted the sponsor of the bill for inadequate research, particularly regarding the name and purpose of the proposed institute.

Chime said that about 95 per cent of the objectives outlined in the bill are already covered by existing legislation, including the Nigerian Urban and Regional Planning Law of 1992, now Cap 138 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004, and the Town Planners Registration Council of Nigeria Law of 1988.

While acknowledging that the bill’s sponsor may have good intentions, Chime warned that its passage would create confusion and result in unmanageable conflicts with existing federal laws governing planning practice in Nigeria.

He recalled a similar attempt in 2015 when an organisation registered as the Institute of Planning of Nigeria and advanced a bill that also passed second reading in the Senate before its implications became public.

According to him, the organisation was eventually deregistered by the Corporate Affairs Commission after investigations. Chime noted that globally, planning is synonymous with town planning, citing Ghana, where the profession is represented by the Ghana Institute of Planning, as well as similar structures in many other countries.

He stressed that transparency and effective resource management would not be achieved through the proliferation of institutions, but through the enforcement of existing laws and regulations guiding professional practice.

MEANWHILE, the NITP and the United Kingdom’s Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) have agreed to strengthen cooperation aimed at addressing urban planning challenges confronting cities. The partnership is designed to provide a platform for planning and development professionals to share best practices and innovative ideas.

Under a Memorandum of Understanding signed by RTPI President, Helen Fadipe, and NITP President, Dr Chime, both institutions agreed to promote mutual visits and participation in programmes, deepen dialogue for knowledge exchange, explore co-branding selected NITP events in Nigeria as RTPI Core Continuing Professional Development activities, and share information on professional membership pathways and continuing professional development frameworks.

The agreement also covers collaboration on addressing planning challenges faced by towns and cities, raising awareness of professional development routes, and strengthening continuous learning frameworks within both institutions.

Both bodies have a long history of engagement through the Commonwealth Association of Planners, where members have collaborated on knowledge exchange and professional development. The MoU builds on this longstanding relationship.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, Fadipe underscored the importance of international collaboration as a catalyst for sustainable global development. In his remarks, Chime expressed appreciation to the RTPI, noting that young planners stand to benefit significantly from the partnership through exposure to global best practices, professional standards and shared knowledge.