The Nigerian Institute of Town Planners has called on governments at all levels to give women town planners opportunities for responsible leadership in ministries, departments and agencies.

The institute’s national president, Nathaniel Atebije, made the call on Thursday at the investiture of the national chairman of the Association of Women Town Planners in Nigeria in Abuja.

Mr Atebije said the women town planners deserved recognition for leadership positions in governance, following the leadership capacity they had acquired and built over the years.

He noted that in its 48 years of existence, the Federal Capital Territory had not had more than five women as Directors of Planning Institutions.

“This applies to almost all states and federal agencies that have not given the female gender the opportunity to excel in their departments. Our women have come of age; let us give them the chance to manifest.

“Knowing the humanitarian and benevolent hearts of women, we call on agencies of government and international organisations to kindly collaborate with women in their intervention programmes in communities to ensure the promotion of a liveable world,” he said.

The president also called on communities to assist the government by employing the expertise of town planners, particularly women, to plan their settlements physically.

In her inaugural speech, AWTPN chair Rekiyat Fache said the association would partner with relevant government agencies and critical stakeholders to move the association forward and contribute to national development.

Ms Fache identified slum upgrading across the federation as one of the major planning interventions of the association. She also noted that the changing dynamics of climate change required critical thinking and practical solutions to its causative factors.

Ms Fache stated that her leadership would also focus on tree planting as one of the mitigating measures against climate change, including sanitation exercises to clean major cities nationwide.

(NAN)