Town Planners Seek Full Implementation of 1992 Urban, Regional Planning Law
Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja
The Nigerian Institute of Town Planners (NITP) has called for the full implementation of the 1992 Nigerian Urban and Regional Planning Law, warning that continued neglect of the legislation is contributing to planning distortions and uncoordinated physical development across the country.
National President of NITP, Chime Ogbonna, made the call at a press conference held at the weekend in Abuja, where he raised concerns over what he described as the growing erosion of professional planning structures at federal and state levels.
Ogbonna said that more than three decades after the law was enacted, it has yet to be properly implemented nationwide, including at the federal level.
“It is unfortunate that the very government that promulgated the 1992 Urban and Regional Planning Law has not fully implemented it. Nigeria remains one of the few countries where a national planning law has existed for over 30 years without full enforcement,” he lamented.
He noted that the institute recently presented a memorandum at the 14th National Council on Housing and Urban Development, where the need for implementation of the law was strongly emphasised.
“Our memorandum on the urgent need to operationalise the law was accepted wholly. We believe that before the end of this year, concrete steps should be taken to implement it at the federal level and ensure domestication in the states,” he said.
Ogbonna also expressed concern over the growing trend of state governments replacing traditional planning structures with Geographic Information Systems (GIS), which he described as a technical tool rather than a substitute for established professional departments.
“GIS is not an end in itself; it is a means to an end. It is a tool used by town planners, surveyors and other professionals to enhance performance. What we are seeing now is the collapse of Town Planning, Lands and Survey departments into a single GIS structure. That is not proper,” he said.
He cited examples of states where development control functions have been placed under GIS units, arguing that such restructuring undermines professional standards. “Development control is broader than GIS. Bringing it under GIS is like saying Nigeria is Enugu State. It creates confusion and weakens institutional structures,” he said.
Ogbonna advised state governments to maintain clear institutional boundaries, pointing to models where technical departments operate independently but collaboratively.
Beyond state-level planning issues, the NITP president appealed to regulatory bodies overseeing tertiary institutions, including the National Universities Commission (NUC), the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) and the National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE) to enforce the preparation and approval of campus master plans before granting operational licences.
He said many universities, polytechnics and colleges of education operate without properly approved physical master plans, resulting in disorganised development and internal conflicts over infrastructure planning.
“Before any tertiary institution is approved to operate, it must have a master plan prepared and approved by the host state. The master plan defines where facilities should be located and guides orderly development,” he stated.
Furthermore, he added that the absence of approved master plans has led to what he described as unnecessary competition and confusion in the administration of campus physical development.
“When a campus master plan is properly prepared and followed, institutions will grow in an organised manner and serve the people as originally intended,” he said.
He stressed that until the 1992 planning law is fully implemented and planning institutions are strengthened, Nigeria will continue to face persistent physical development challenges.
“We must take the planning profession seriously. Without proper implementation of our planning laws, development problems will persist,” he noted.
