Lagos/Ogun Development Commission: Town planners seek stakeholders’ collaboration 

The issues surrounding the formation of the Lagos/Ogun Joint Development Commission came to the fore at the weekend with settlement experts under the auspices of the Nigerian Institute of Town Planners (NITP), calling for the collaboration of all stakeholders in order to achieve the objectives of the initiative.

Speaking during the Annual General Meeting of Lagos chapter of NITP, the experts, while applauding the setting up of the commission, said it would require collaboration of all stakeholders, continuity and sustainability irrespective of the government in power to achieve the targets of the commission.

Speaking on the theme, “Lagos- Ogun Joint Development Commission-Issues, Prospects and Trade-offs,” former Rector, Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, Abeokuta and Past President of NITP,  Mr Waheed Kadiri, went down  the memory lane, listing some of the factors responsible for  the failure of past initiatives.

He, however, identified some pitfalls to avoid towards the implementation of the set outcomes of the new joint development commission.

Speaking during the panel discussion, Development Consultant, Mrs Dada Alamutu, an architect, said that past meetings were set up as ad-hoc committee, hence they didn’t last.

To ensure the two states get it right now, she canvassed a change in temporary nature of the committee.

“There was failure of past initiative because the three parties (federal, state and private sector) had their different thoughts,” warning that some basic things must be agreed before going with the joint venture.

According to Alamutu, there was need for continuity and sustainability irrespective of change in administration.

Besides, she is of the opinion that the commission should be given legal backing.

“We need to think about institutional framework, infrastructure and need to legislate the commission.

She also canvassed for urban governance, saying there must be interest in knowing how the environment and infrastructure are being organized, planned and governed.

She appealed to people to be in the front seat to drive the document, adding that urban governance was also very critical.

“It’s important we come together to collaborate,” she said.

Chairman, Lagos State Physical Planning and Building Control Appeal Committee, Mr Ayodele Adediran, said there was need to educate the people and bring in the private sector. He said the time to work the talks has come.

“There is need to take-off to plan the inter-border. We need to work the talks. Talking about the quickwin, we can start from transportation from Lagos to Shagamu,” he said.

Special Adviser to Ogun State on Media and Public Communication, Kenny Hassan, said there was a need to de-emphasise political dichotomy for the joint development commission to work.

He warned against inter-agencies rivalry, calling on professionals to be disciplined.

Former Special Adviser to the Ogun State Government on Urban and Regional Planning, Stephen Adewolu, enjoined professional town planners to join politics in order to lobby for implementation of physical development plans.

“There is need for the restructuring of the country and devolution of power to the people,” he said.

Special Adviser to Lagos State Goverment on eGIS, DrOlajide Abiodun Babatunde, said there was need for continuity and transformation.

According to him, Lagos-Ogun border should start with planners, saying that having identified the problems, the need to fix them with various development plans has come.

This,he said called for the need to submit development plans to both state governments for implementation.

He disclosed that the Lagos State Government has awarded contract to do mapping of the state, especially mapping of Lagos’ borders, adding that talks are ongoing with Ogun State Government about joint mapping.

Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, charged all stakeholders to emulate NITP in stimulating useful and fruitful discussion around the initiative, saying that such effort remained critical in suggesting ways forward and fine-tuning of the idea.

Represented by the Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, MrOmotayoBamgboshe-Martins, the governor said he was happy that professionals in the built environment were showing concerns for the successful outcome of the initiative, bearing in mind that it holds future development of Lagos and Ogun States as well as the south west geo-political region especially in agriculture, housing and transportation.

He explained that the commission was borne out of the Memorandum of Understanding between the two neighbouring states of Ogun and Lagos.

He expressed the desire of the two states to attain cost-effective socio-economic development and address security and boundary issues.

He added that the commitment of his government to ensuring that Lagos becomes a 21st century economy made the strategic collaboration with Ogun State important.

“The commission holds a lot of promise for forging a common alliance in tackling the challenges confronting the two states, including security, sanitation, traffic and transportation, waste management, water supply, land use planning and housing.

“It will also create the avenue for solving infrastructure development and maintenance challenges as well as physical planning and urban development, urban renewal and slum upgrade issues,”the governor said.

The essence of creating this bileteral development, Sanwo-Olu said was hinged on the need  to harness the potential of the neibouring states for the wellbeing of the people and thereby promote  good governance by tapping the capability inherent in such collaboration.

It would be recalled that in May 2021, Governors BabajideSanwo-Olu and DapoAbiodun of Lagos and Ogun states respectively, signed a Memorandum of Understanding establishing the Joint Development Commission.

This was done due to the interconnected nature of the two states bonded by culture, language, geography and urbanisation challenges.