Ogun town planners lament population boom without infrastructure upgrade

The Nigerian Institute of Town Planners, Ogun State Chapter, has call for concerted efforts to address the challenge of rapid population explosion in many communities in the state without corresponding infrastructural upgrade.

The institute therefore, pledged its readiness to strengthen partnerships with the state government and Federal Polytechnic, Ilaro, among other relevant government agencies and stakeholders to address this worrying situation.

Speaking during the institute’s August monthly general meeting held in Ilaro in a statement on Sunday, the NITP state chairman, Adefela Sogbesan, warned that communities such as Ilaro and Ibese in Yewa South Local Government Area are experiencing a population boom without corresponding infrastructure upgrades.

He linked the surge to the presence of major industries, including Dangote Cement, which has transformed the area into a busy industrial corridor.

It is evident that our communities are experiencing a population boom without commensurate infrastructure to support it.

“The implications for housing, transportation, drainage, education, and healthcare are alarming,” Sogbesan said.

As part of the meeting, the NITP paid a courtesy visit to the Federal Polytechnic, Ilaro, where they were received by the Deputy Rector (Administration), Lukman Lasisi, who stood in for the Rector.

Lasisi emphasised that town planning should create livable environments that balance residential, commercial, and educational needs.

Lasisi assured the institute of the polytechnic’s readiness to work together, but pointed out that government directives require paper presentations for sponsorship of academic conferences.

He also sought the institute’s help in resolving a blocked culvert near the campus that causes flooding during rains.

In his remarks, Sogbesan noted that contemporary town planning now integrates climate science, data analytics, infrastructure finance, and urban governance, stressing the need for collaborative research and projects on sustainable urbanism.

The NITP team also visited the Chairman of Yewa South Local Government, Hon. Abraham Ogunsola, to align physical planning initiatives with the council’s development plans.

Ogunsola while addressing the Town planners pledged his administration’s desire to create a livable environment, describing sustainable infrastructure as a necessity for the area’s fast-growing population.

At the general meeting held at the ASUP Hall, in the polytechnic, members of NITP in the state, discussed internal matters, including the postponement of elections to September and preparations for the Annual General Meeting in Abuja in October.

They however, raised fund for the completion of the NITP-OG building as a former Rector of Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, Alhaji Waheed Kadiri, donated ₦250,000 on the spot, with other members making immediate pledges.

Kadiri urged members to continue to uphold the ethics and regulations of the profession .

He also advised the members to stick to correct conduct and not prioritise immediate gains for professionalism.