President Bola Tinubu has tasked governors to domesticate the National Urban Development Policy to bolster town planning.

Mr Tinubu made the call at the 2025 Nigerian Institute of Town Planners 56th International Conference and Annual General Meeting on Tuesday in Abuja.

He said that the federal government placed urban development at the heart of the national transformation agenda.

According to Mr Tinubu, his government is building strong partnerships with professional bodies, such as NITP, to drive evidence-based policymaking and capacity building.

He listed some of the policies to include: digitisation of planning administration, Urban Inclusiveness Policy, and mainstreaming climate action in urban planning, among others.

Mr Tinubu recently said the administration inaugurated bus terminals in Abuja and awarded contracts for one bus terminal in each of the six geopolitical zones of the country under the Ministry of Transport, to serve as pilots for urban regeneration efforts.

Ogbonna Chime, NITP national president, said the organisation has been organising the conference annually to bring to light issues in urban planning.

Mr Chime said that political interests and disregard for procedures had reduced planning to a reactive, often chaotic exercise rather than a proactive, orderly process.

He said the partnership that should exist between town planners and political leaders in most cases had been replaced by suspicion or neglected.

He therefore urged the government to correct the anomaly so that the noble intentions behind NITP would be fully realised .

Mr Chime also urged town planners to ensure the faithful implementation of planning laws, the holistic review of master plans, and the pursuit of settlement development that is orderly, inclusive, and sustainable.

He said, “The destiny of our settlements lies in our collective hands. Nigeria’s urbanisation can either become a curse of slums, congestion and environmental decay, or a blessing of prosperity, equity and sustainability.”

Isyaku Kura, president of the Town Planners’ Registration Council of Nigeria, said for so long, the absence of a structured, annual verification process exposed the profession to risks; chief among them is the proliferation of unqualified individuals masquerading as town planners.

(NAN)