The Ogun State Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, TPL Olatunji Odunlami, said the agency was determined to ensure that government Town Planners were given proper training that would enable them to be abreast of developments in their fields.

TPL Odunlami gave the assurance in Abeokuta, at a Day training for Town Planners, with the theme: Town Planning Principal Law and Planning and Development Permit Regulations 2022, saying training would provide the knowledge base to enhance overall service delivery.

The Commissioner said, “As Town Planners, we must be conversant with the law and regulations that guide our work in regulating development in the environment so as to be effective and efficient in the discharge of our statutory responsibilities”.

In his address, the Head of Service, Dr. Nafiu Aigoro likened the importance of the training to the medical practitioners’ knowledge of the anatomy of the human body, saying the enforcement and regulatory assignments of Town Planners could not be effectively discharged without a thorough knowledge of their laws and regulations.

“You are the regulators and enforcers of your law, and you must keep up with your law and regulations to remain ethical and professional in the discharge of your duties”, the Head of Service emphasised.

In his paper, the resource person, TPL Ayo Adesanya highlighted the significance of Town Planning law to include protection of the environment, promotion of accessibility, optimisation of economic development, promotion of environmental aesthetics, and conservation and protection of natural cultural heritage.

“Ogun State used the State version of the Town and Country Planning Law until 2005 when the State promulgated the Ogun State Urban and Regional Planning Law. This Law has been amended as the Ogun State Urban and Regional Planning and Development (OGURPD) Law 2022”, Adesanya noted.

The second resource person, TPL Barr. Johnson Ogunleye dwelt extensively on Ogun State Planning and Development Permit Regulations, 2022, advising participants to understand the reasons for each clause stipulated in the regulations before going to the field.

Some of the participants, TPL AbdulBasit Hamzat, Olusegun Afonja, and Kehinde Adetola, applauded the Ministry and its agencies for organising the training, saying,  it was an eye opener on the need to be up-to-date with the Physical Planning law.