Collaboration and cooperation between Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) have been identified as essential to enhancing effective and efficient physical planning and urban development in Ogun State.
Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, TPl. Olatunji Odunlami, made the submission at the 2024 Annual General Meeting (AGM), Ogun State Chapter of Nigerian Institute of Town Planners (NITP), at the institute’s secretariat in Abeokuta.
Speaking on the theme, “Cross Sector Collaboration in the Production and Implementation of Development Plans: Imperative of Synergy Among MDAs”, Tpl. Odunlami emphasised the need for synergy between MDAs in the delivery of peaceful ecological and societal development plan, with attendant benefits like cross fertilisation of ideas, improved bonding, as well as synergised efforts to achieve shared objectives.
TPl. Odunlami added that such cooperation would reduce incidences of land grabbing, erosion, improper citing of drainages, building on acquisitions, not obtaining building permits and authorisations, among others.
“The culture of working on silos has greatly affected the growth and development of land administration in the state; but presently, the Prince Dapo Abiodun-led administration has made it
imperative that all land-related MDAs collaborate, while even non-land related ones like Education, Health and others are captured in the laws and regulations to ensure that government itself obeys its own laws”, he said.
On his part, National President, Nigerian Institute of Town Planners, TPl. Nathaniel Atebije, said members should imbibe the trend of exponential change in innovation and technology and adopt a new strategy that could bridge the gap, for free flow of ideas among relevant MDAs.
According to Atebije, “As planners, we know that ideas are activated through strategy and at the national level. We shall soon launch our ten-year Strategic Development Plan.
In his remarks, NITP Chairman, Ogun State Chapter, TPl. Adefela Sogbesan, pointed out that lack of proper planning undermines the state’s development, leading to potential environmental planning hazards, urging people to consult experts in the built industry before constructing structures, to prevent haphazard development and promote sustainable growth in the state.
His words, “I want to advice residents to consult professionals. In this part of the world, we don’t consult professionals. For example, you want to buy land to build a school. Some buy the land where that scheme is meant for residential and after doing all the necessary things, realise that they are building at the wrong place because you didn’t consult professionals”.
“We choose this topic to bring some of the departments and agencies, especially those that have direct access to the built industry, with the hope that we will be able to relate together and see how we can move the industry forward”.
In an interview with journalists after the event, Commissioner for Housing, Jagunmolu Jamiu Omoniyi, disclosed that MDAs were working in synergy to ensure development across the state, stressing that though the current administration encountered the challenges of implementing the state developmental plan due to non-implementation by previous administration, the present government was committed to correcting the anomaly.
“Some build a whole estate without any form of communication with any regulatory body, creating problems in the building and planning sector”, he said.
