In a revealing appearance on Beyond the Headlines with Sir Uchenna Cyril Anioke on Freedom Square TV, the National President of the Nigerian Institute of Town Planners (NITP), TPL Dr. Ogbonna Chime, made a compelling case for urgent reforms in Nigeria’s urban planning system. Speaking on the topic “Nigerian Institute of Town Planners, Sustainable Development, and Matters Arising,” he emphasized the critical role of planning in reversing Nigeria’s growing urban challenges.
Dr. Chime described the Nigerian Institute of Town Planners(NITP) as a professional body mandated to promote livable and sustainable settlements across the country through advocacy and collaboration with all tiers of government. “We don’t control budgets,” he noted, “but we offer expert guidance to ensure Nigerians benefit from well-planned environments where they live and work.”
He lamented that, despite the existence of the 1992 Nigerian Urban and Regional Planning Law formulated after wide consultations with local and international experts,the federal government has failed to implement it to date. “This legal vacuum has left the planning profession crippled for over three decades,” Chime said, “resulting in the uncontrolled eruption of slums and chaotic urban growth nationwide.”
According to him, the 1992 law repealed colonial-era regulations and proposed a structured framework for physical planning at federal, state, and local levels. This includes establishing the National Fiscal Planning Commission with representation from registered professionals across disciplines,town planners, architects, surveyors, and estate valuers. However, none of these provisions have been operationalized.
He revealed that town planners have been functioning without legal backing since the law was passed. “Without implementing the law, there is no mandate for employing the planners we need to manage urban expansion,” he said. He cited Abuja as the only city in Nigeria that benefitted from a planned development approach, initiated even before the 1992 law.
Chime reiterated that urban settlements must be planned in advance to determine population capacity, schools, health centres, and infrastructure. He decried the trend of unregulated estates springing up without basic amenities or neighborhood plans. “In a properly planned city,” he stressed, “the highest facility in a residential area should be a primary school. This reduces congestion and stress on families.”
He also responded to the recent designation of certain areas in Enugu State as urban, clarifying that urban areas are not defined by the absence of predominantly farming alone but by infrastructure and population size,typically over 20,000 people with access to banks, hospitals, and commercial services. “If everywhere is declared urban, it creates more problems than solutions,” he warned.
On the upcoming National Colloquium scheduled for October 27, 2025, Dr. Chime expressed optimism that it will provide a platform to revisit implementation gaps and engage stakeholders from all sectors.
He called for three critical reforms to ensure sustainable urban development in Nigeria:
. Full implementation and domestication of the 1992 Urban and Regional Planning Law.
. Recruitment of qualified town planners and related professionals across all levels of government.
. Public sensitization and compliance with planning laws, layout designs, and master plans.
Dr. Chime concluded by describing the ideal Nigerian city as one developed according to a master plan, guided from inception through execution, and monitored by competent professionals.