Campus master plan policies enforced: Call for action by town planners addressed to NUC and NBTE
The Nigerian Institute of Town Planners (NITP) has called on the National Universities Commission (NUC) and the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) to enforce Campus Master Plan (CMP) policies for universities and polytechnics in Nigeria. The president of NITP, Dr Ogbonna Chime, made this call while addressing a news conference in Abuja.
Dr Chime commended the Federal and various state governments for their efforts in embracing urban and regional planning through the establishment of the Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, ratification of the New Urban Development Policy, and the creation of Regional Development Commissions across the country's geopolitical zones. He also commended governors of Lagos, Enugu, Plateau, and the Federal Capital Territory Minister for the decisive measures taken to actualize certain provisions of urban and regional planning.
Urban and regional planning, Dr Chime noted, regulates physical planning activities, land use planning, development control, and environmental impact assessment, among others. He emphasized the importance of urban and regional planning in the socio-economic advancement of a nation.
The NITP president expressed concern about the absence of CMPs causing confusion in the appointment of directors of Physical Planning in various higher institutions. He also noted that many state governments are making a mistake by regarding Geographic Information System (GIS) as Urban and Regional Planning, Land Surveying, and Lands Departments in the management of their land resources.
Dr Chime stressed that the implementation of these plans should be handled exclusively by registered Town Planners, who are considered the most qualified professionals to oversee compliance. He advised care in the appointment of the Head of any GIS unit, ensuring that he or she has enough background in any of the three traditional departments to avoid conflicts of interest.
The president warned that regarding GIS as Urban and Regional Planning, Land Surveying, and Lands Departments in the management of land resources is a mistake. He explained that town planning, survey, and lands departments produce the raw materials - planning schemes, parcellated survey plans, etc. - that make GIS operations relevant.
The use of geographic information service, Dr Chime asserted, will be of no use without the plans generated by these traditional professional departments. He also noted that the CMPs are crucial for guiding the development of educational institutions, ensuring a well-organized and functional campus layout.
The NITP National Assembly Liaison Committee, led by Hon. Rauf Olaniyan, has been inadequated to engage the National Assembly on urban and regional planning issues in Nigeria. The chairperson of the committee, Dr Ramatu Aliyu, the Former Minister of State for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), pledged to advocate for policies promoting sustainable development, enhance NITP profession's visibility, and foster collaboration.
In convention, a consultant Town Planner is responsible for preparing master plans for universities, polytechnics, and Colleges of Education. The document so prepared and approved by the relevant town planning agency controls the orderly physical growth and development of every campus.
The NITP has been advocating for the enforcement of CMP regulations with precision, aiming to ensure the orderly growth and development of higher institutions of learning in Nigeria.
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