Town planners harp on capacity building for members, decry quackery 

The Abia State chapter of the Nigerian Institute of Town Planners (NITP) has concluded plans to introduce continuous training and capacity building for its members.

Its chairman, Nelson Nwaosu, who stated this at the inauguration of the state branch by NITP’s National President, Luka Achi, who was represented by the first vice president, Lekwa Ezuta in Aba, said that the NITP was not unaware of people’s perception of town planning practitioners.

He said that the perception of town planning profession as portrayed by quacks has to change so as to let members of the public understand their role in ordering land uses.

He, therefore, charged members to make the profession more credible and visible in the state. “We are going to facilitate continuous professional training and capacity building for members while educating the public on their roles and responsibilities,” he added.

Nwaosu, who argued that the tasks of effecting the desired change were certainly not insurmountable, disclosed that the Executive Committee has taken steps to reposition by setting up relevant standing committees.

The committees are: Education, Research and Publication, Professional Practice and Ethics, Capacity Building and Workshops, as well as Conferences and World Events.

Others are Staff Welfare, Student Membership, Publicity and Awareness, Building and Sub-Division Regulations and NITP Head Office Building Development with the task of repositioning the state chapter.

Speaking, Achi urged Town Planners to remain focused on the development of functional, aesthetically pleasing and sustainable human settlements.

“To achieve these objectives, we must bear in mind that professional town planning is not only about development control as there are even more serious issues of sustainability, inclusiveness, resilience and livability of the human settlements,” he added.