Manipulations by misguided public officials stunting Nigeria’s progress, development — Don

The Vice Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, Professor Wahab Olasupo Egbewole, SAN, has disclosed that the manipulations by a few misguided public officials are responsible for the level of underdevelopment currently being experienced in the country.

He said this while charging professionals not to leave Nigeria in the hands of politicians, adding that professionals and not politicians alone must build Nigeria.

The vice chancellor stated this while delivering a lecture entitled “Town Planners, Sustainable Development, and Nation Building” at the 10th Waheed Kadiri Lecture Series, which was held in Abeokuta, Ogun State.

The annual lecture is organised by the Ogun State chapter of the Nigerian Institute of Town Planners in honour of the former Rector of Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, Dr Waheed Kadiri.

Egbewole expressed danger in leaving politicians solely in charge of developing Nigeria, saying, “To a large extent, our decision-makers are planning illiteracy.”

Egbewole said, “It is now more imperative to allow professionals to build our nation than succumb to the manipulations of the few and the octopus called government as represented by a few misguided public officials.”

He also charged town planners to promote lively and self-sustaining communities, adding that “town planning propositions must be ingenious to foster a mix of residential, commercial, and recreational land uses and enforce zoning restrictions that allow for mixed-use projects, building a sense of community, and reducing commuting lengths as far as practicable.

“Every plan should be people-centred. As a process, planning must follow the dictates of Peoples Leading in Addressing Their Needs (PLAN), which allows the targeted beneficiaries to take leading roles in conception and settings.

“Town planners must prioritise and plan for efficient and well-maintained infrastructure, including transportation, utilities, and public services that meet future requirements and provide fair access to essential services.”

In his remarks, Kadiri called for the strict implementation of government policies and plans on urban regeneration to prevent natural disasters.