The Town Planners Registration Council of Nigeria (TOPREC) has called for stronger regulatory backing and increased government support to reposition town planning for sustainable urban development in the country
The President of TOPREC, Mr Valentine Ezenwa, made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Abuja.
Ezenwa said the absence of effective regulation had created room for quackery, indiscriminate development and urban sprawl all of which threaten safety, infrastructure and the environment
He called for stronger support from the government at all levels, particularly on funding for regulatory activities
“TOPREC doesn’t get any subvention from the federal government again and as a regulatory body, we have a whole lot of things to do with money
“So, we are asking governments to look more into the subvention issue and see how they can support the activities of these regulatory bodies, including TOPREC”
The president said the council was set to deepen the digitization of its operations and strengthen collaboration with the Nigerian Institute of Town Planners (NITP) to improve town planning regulation in the country
On the development of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Ezenwa said TOPREC in collaboration with the NITP, was concerned about insinuation that the Abuja Master Plan had been compromised
He disclosed that the professional body had set up a committee to examine areas of concern in the master plan, with the new TOPREC administration expected to support the initiative
According to him, the objective is to identify the challenges affecting the implementation of the Abuja Master Plan and develop appropriate solutions to ensure that Abuja grows in line with best practices in town planning.