Expert calls for review of curriculum, establishment of town planning commission

As part of moves to end quackery in the sector, a professor at the Department of Urban and Regional Planning, University of Lagos, Taibat Lawanson, has called for the review of town planning curriculum.

While noting that the review of the curriculum would help future town planners have the up-to-date knowledge in the field, Prof. Lawanson added that the establishment of a town planning commission would help to end quackery in the profession.

She stated this at the 8th Waheed Kadiri Annual Lecture, held at Nigerian Institute of Town Planners (NITP), Ogun State Secretariat, Abeokuta.

Lawanson and other experts at the event also averred that public awareness on the importance of good town planning and policies will save Nigeria and its citizens from many losses.

The don, who spoke as a guest on ‘The future of urban planning in Nigeria: Rethinking planning education and practice,’ stressed that there is an urgent need to create public awareness on a good town planning system.

She said, “We need to recover lost ground by actively engaging the political system to ensure the establishment of a planning commission.

“The domestication of planning law where they are not currently in existence and the institution of local planning committee and we have to recognise that our work can only be successful when we engage the politicians proactively.

“We need to sponsor more planners into political office so that at least when the compensations are being made, those who have the knowledge can contribute to those compensations.

“We need to respond to global changes in knowledge and city development practices,” she said.

The convener of the event and former Rector of Moshood Abiola Polytechnic (MAPOLY), Waheed Kadiri, maintained that bridging the gap between knowledge of town planning and the people is essential at this time.

He said, “Most people in governance see planning as a source of revenue but I see planning as a way of saving revenue, of saving what you pay for things you should have done.

“For example, if you have good alignment of roads, accidents will reduce, fire disasters coming from one house and razing like 20 shanties will not be there. Therefore, you are even saving the government some money. That is what planning is about.”

On quackery, the former President of NITP said, “The greatest problem in this country is that there is no punishment. People do things that are not legal and nobody punishes them.

“If people who go into quackery and illegalities are being punished, less people will go along that line.”