By Tony Adibe
The Nigerian Institute of Town Planners (NITP) has lauded President Bola Tinubu for creating two ministries for the built environment and appointing a professional to manage one of them.
Tinubu’s appointment of Architect Ahmed Dangiwa as pioneer minister of Housing and Urban Development is a smart move, NITP President, Dr. Ogbonna Chime, said at the weekend. “Appropriate appointments produce appropriate results,” he noted, underscoring the potential for impactful governance under Dangiwa’s new ministry.
He equally praised the creation of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development and the Ministry of Regional Development, describing these moves as “a remarkable shift in urban and regional planning … from what it used to be to what it should be.”
Dr. Chime was inaugurated at the weekend in Enugu as President of the National Institute of Town Planners (NITP). In his inaugural address, he pledged transformative leadership and renewed advocacy for sustainable urban development across Nigeria.
He highlighted his extensive experience within the NITP and promised to “break new grounds where opportunity calls” while steering the institute toward impactful progress. A key focus of his administration will be the full implementation of the 1992 Urban and Regional Planning Law, a legislative tool he described as critical for addressing Nigeria’s major environmental challenges.
“We shall do this by upgrading the NITP advocacy for its early and full implementation, including encouraging the setting up of Urban and Regional Planning commissions and boards,” he stated.
Chime emphasized the need for a comprehensive Urban and Regional Plan to guide physical development nationwide and advocated for greater government awareness of the importance of planned settlements.
He also expressed concern over the low intake of students in urban and regional planning programs at tertiary institutions. One way that his executive will strive to address this is to expand employment opportunities for urban planning graduates within public institutions.
Chime promised that his leadership would strengthen NITP’s role in driving sustainable urbanization, fostering institutional collaboration, and creating pathways for a better-planned Nigeria.
