The Nation Newspaper

Tag: NITP

  • How to end building collapse, by experts

    Professionals and other stakeholders in the building industry have called for the collaboration of all in the built sector.

    They said: “All of us and related government agencies should be involved in putting up buildings to prevent collapse in Lagos State.”

    They spoke yesterday at a one-day public hearing on the collapsed building at 63, Massey Street, Ita-Faji, Lagos. It was organised by the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development, at the Bagauda Kaltho Press Centre, Alausa, Ikeja.

    The seven institutes in the industry and some government agencies were represented.

    Read also: Buildings collapse: Buhari vows to punish offenders

    They include Nigerian Institute of Architects (NIA); Nigerian Institute of Building (NIOB); Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE); Nigerian Institute of Town Planners (NITP); Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers (NIESV); Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors (NIQS) and Nigerian Institute of Surveyors (NIS).

    The professionals said most of the collapsed buildings were handled by quacks, who used substandard materials, without the involvement of the government agencies.

    The stakeholders called for synergy professionals, the government agencies, and owners or developers, to ensure that right things were done before, during and after construction, to end building collapse.

     

  • NITP chief harps on permit before devt

    The Chairman of the Nigerian Institute of Town Planners (NITP), Lagos State Chapter, Mr. Adebisi Adedire, has said it is illegal to build without obtaining development permit.

    He spoke  at the  trial of the registered trustees of The Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN) and four others for the collapse of the church’s building.

    Adedire said there was no section or sub-section of any physical planning regulation of the state that permitted buildings to be erected without development permit. “Planning permit is a process whereby a proponent who seeks to develop a land brings developmental proposal to the planning offices with the aim of receiving development permit to ensure legitimate erection of buildings in accordance to government regulation,” he said, adding that as far as the regulation is concerned, a building without development permit is not legitimate.

    He listed the criteria for obtaining planning permit to include provision of certain documents such as architectural drawings, structural, mechanical and electrical drawings depending on the type of structures being pushed forward for development, including making available title documents to prove the rightful ownership of the land to the land; deeds of assignment or a purchase receipt duly signed.

    He, however, observed that the state government might be magnanimous enough to allow owners of existing buildings constructed without planning approval to come forward for regularisation.

    Last March, the state government through the Lagos State Physical Planning Permit Authority (LASPPPA) and Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA), under the supervision of the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development,  gave a  six-month grace for owners of buildings without planning permit to regularise their house documents  without the payment of penal fee.

    “Initially, for regularisation of existing structures, penal fee would be paid but it was stated in a publication that for applications that would be brought in within the timeframe, penal fees would be waived’’, Adedire  said.

    He explained that owners of buildings in this category will have to go through the planning process which includes; provision of title documents on the land, e.g Certificate of Occupancy, deed of assignment or duly stamped receipt of land purchase; provision of survey plan, submission of drawings (architectural, structural, electrical and mechanical drawings where necessary depending on the project), availability of tax certificate and building integrity test among others,” Adedire, a town planning consultant, explained.

  • NITP inducts Minister, Governor, 73 others Fellows

    The Taraba State Governor, Darius Ishaku and the Minister of State for Mines and Steel, Bwari Abubakar, have been inducted as Fellows of the Nigerian Institute of Town Planners (NITP). Also inducted were 76 other distinguished professionals in the industry.

    At the induction, which held in Abuja recently, the Minister identified roles of town planners to building a sustainable city devoid of flood and other natural ocurrencies.

    “Mistakes of other professions can be easily corrected but not town planners. You cannot wipe out a city to rebuild again. We have to adhere to ethics of the profession because we have a role in nation building,” Abubakar said.

    He described the fellowship as spectacular because it is the highest honour in the town planning profession.

    Reacting to Abuja Master Plan being encroached on daily basis, he said it has been a nightmare of the town planners. Abubakar, who regrets that political decisions in the past have altered the Abuja master plan, nonetheless restated commitment of the current administration to fixing the errors.

    Ishaku agreed with Abubakar, frowning at the lack of political will to fully implement the Abuja master plan. According to him, so many things have not been implemented in the capital city. For instance, he explained, building transportation rail line should have been first before building the Abuja town itself.

    “I have planned four lakes in additional to Jabi lake which has not been implemented up till date and I am feeling so bad about that. Sooner or later, you will deplete the water in Usman dam which supplies drinkable water to Abuja town without implementing the plan,” he cautioned, adding that the four lakes are to serve as backup to Usman dam and provide water for horticulture used in beautifying the trees and flower gardens.

    The governor said it is the responsibility of town planners to determine locations that are habitable and otherwise so that people are prevented from settling in flood prone areas.

    “If you visit Taraba, you will see that we have designed and executed several roads, improved education from almost zero level. We are using town planning experience to spur rural development,” he said.

     

    Avoidable home decor mistakes

    The fact that you can afford expensive furniture does not make you immune to home décor mistakes. Better still, you don’t necessarily have to learn from your own mistakes. You can save yourself a lot of stress by getting it right the first time. Below are some home decor mistakes you should avoid:

     

    Test Before Painting Your Walls

    Before you paint your walls, consider testing the paint; especially on a large span of a wall before you splash colours on your wall. This does not, however, mean that you should buy a lot of paint to test the colours. Instead, go for a few small containers. Try different shades of colours until you find one that really appeals to you. The last thing you want to do is to go for a colour yet end up with a depressing shade.

     

    Don’t Go For Rugs

    You might be tempted to have toilet rugs in your bathroom – Don’t do it. It’s one of the biggest decor mistakes most tenants and homeowners make. Toilet rugs might look fancy and light up your bathroom; especially when they are brightly coloured but don’t do it.

    Regardless of the size of your bathroom, you should not have a rug in it. They are not easy to clean and can easily become a breeding ground for germs on the bathroom floor. Remember that the rug would mostly be damp because of the prevalence of water in the bathroom. Instead, you should go for a bath mat, which might or might not come with a rubber backing.

     

    • Samod Biobaku, Private Property Nigeria

  • NITP urges Cross River government on urban planning board

    The Cross River State Chapter of the Nigerian Institute of Town Planners (NITP) has called on the state government to establish an Urban Planning Board in line with the Urban and Regional Planning Act 2004.

    The state Chairman of NITP, Mr Daniel Ukene, made the call in a statement while reacting to the activities of the State Development Control Task Force, at the weekend in Calabar, the state capital.

    He said although they recognised the responsibility of the state government to ensuring the orderly development of its urban and rural Areas, it nevertheless must do so within the ambits of the law.

    “Government shall exercise its physical planning responsibilities within the framework of the Nigerian Urban and Regional Planning Act. Cap 138, Laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 2004, from where it derives its mandate.

    “Therefore, it is our considered view that it is also the responsibility of the state government to comply with the relevant provisions of the Act or domesticate same in the state including the establishment of the State Urban Planning Board, ” he said.

    The chairman said town planners in the state had made several futile efforts to draw the attention of the state government on the illegality of setting up of such Task Force on town planning and development.

    According to him, in as much as town planners in the state appreciate the concern of the government to enforce the orderly development of the state, such should be handled by competent and registered professionals.

    He described the activities of the Task Force as purely unprofessional, adding that this would have negative consequences on the state in the long run.

    “Currently, the Task Force had begun massive posting of stop work, demolition notices, which are statutory functions of town planners as spelt out in the Urban and Regional Planning Act and Cross River Building Regulation Law,” he said.

    He added that the Bill establishing the Task Force was yet to be passed into Law by the State House of Assembly, saying this had rendered the Task Force illegal.

    Ukene said that they were willing to dialogue with the state government on the professional way of handling issue bordering on the orderly development of Calabar and the state in general.

    “As town planners, we are open to dialogue on the way forward for the proper and orderly development of Calabar and our state in general,” he said.

    Also, the State Representative of Town Planners Registration Council of Nigeria (TOPREC), Mr Archibong Omon, said they decided to inform the public in order to clear the two bodies of any complacency in the activities of the Task Force.

    “Many concerned citizens have continued to ask questions about what is going on, so we have to let Cross Riverians know that we are not part of the activities of the Task Force,” he said.

  • Town planning consultant calls for building audit in Lagos

    Town planning consultant calls for building audit in Lagos

    A town planning consultant, Mr Makinde Ogunleye, has called for a comprehensive auditing of all new and old buildings in Lagos State to curb the menace of incessant building collapse.

    Ogunleye, a former Chairman, Nigeria Institute of Town Planners (NITP), Lagos State Branch, made the call in an interview with news men on Friday in Lagos.

    He urged the state government to urgently embark on the building audit to enable it to take appropriate steps to avert the collapse of distressed buildings.

    According to him, majority of collapsed buildings in the state were dilapidated.

    “Audit of building is all about conducting an integrity test on a building, to ascertain the stability of the structure.

    “It will reveals the structural capacity of a building, giving the signs of dilapidation,” he said.

    Read Also: Lagos seals Badoo kingpin’s properties

    Ogunleye said that audit of all buildings in the state would not take more than three months to be completed, if the government could be proactive about it.

    “After the audit, an immediate removal of all identified non-remedial distressed buildings, as well as structures blocking access and drainage alignment, must follow,” he said.

    Ogunleye also advised the state government and residents of the state to develop maintenance culture of the buildings, saying that poor maintenance could lead to early collapse of buildings.

    “If Lagosians can ensure proper maintenance and servicing of their buildings, the issue of building collapse will be curtailed,” he said.

    NAN

  • Commissioner urges stakeholders collaboration on ending fuel scarcity

    Commissioner urges stakeholders collaboration on ending fuel scarcity

    The Lagos State Commissioner for Home Affairs, Dr Abdul-Hakeem Abdul-Lateef, has appealed to stakeholders in the oil industry to collaborate in addressing the current fuel scarcity in the country.

    Abdul-Lateef made this appeal on Thursday in an interview at Odosengolu, near Ijebu-Ode in Ogun.

    The commissioner was speaking on the side-line of the formal closing of the 24th National Islamic Training Programme ( NITP ) organised by The Muslim Congress ( TMC ).

    The theme of the NITP training was “Witnessing Unto Mankind”.

    He described the fuel scarcity as “man inhumanity to man’’ and challenged fuel marketers to be sincere, just and avoid inflating the price or hoarding the commodity.

    “Some people, because of the desire to increase the fuel price, have started to hoard the commodity and begin another chapter in our unimpressive attitude.

    “I think the marketers and all the stakeholders must have the fear of God in mind and understand that life is not all about money.

    “Life is about the happiness of all; because if we continue to impoverish Nigeria at the expense of so many people, we will continue to give birth to criminality,’’ Abdul-Lateef said.

    Earlier, the President of TMC, Dr Luqman Abdur-Raheem explained that the NITP was a camping programme designed to build the spiritual, intellectual and social capacities of Muslims.

    Read also: NITP sets new parameters for Fellows

    “At NITP, we learn Quran, Hadith, Fiqhu, Current Affairs and Issues around the Muslim world.

    “It provides a platform for knowledge-sharing, socialisation and networking.

    “This is the 24th edition, during which members and leadership of TMC rub minds on peaceful coexistence, nation-building and the development of Islam in all ramifications,’’ Abdur-Raheem sai.

    He noted that the Muslim community was in a trying period when the Muslims, the mosques and Islamic symbols of Hijab for female Muslims are under attacks.

    “We advise all Muslims to protect Islam with all resources at their disposal.

    “But bombing, sabotage and killings of innocent persons are not lawful means for calling and witnessing unto mankind.

    “These are methods of terrorists. Terrorists in Nigeria and in the Arab world have stolen our physical appearance and pretend to be Muslims.

    “They have satanic and cultic ideologies, which are antithetical to Islam – a phenomenon of Muslim Identity Theft.

    “We restate our organisation’s commendation to the Federal Government in its fight against corruption, economic sabotage, indiscipline, terrorism and impunity.

    “The government is making appreciable progress but there is need for the Muslims and Non-Muslims to provide workable template from our heavenly revealed religions to the three tiers of government.

    “We should also accompany this with prayers and cooperation for national development,’’ Abdur-Raheem said.

    NAN

  • NITP sets new parameters for Fellows

    NITP sets new parameters for Fellows

    Worried by the admittance of members into the Fellowship Class of the Nigerian Institute of Town Planners (NITP) without clear cut criteria, the institute has said it will no longer be a ‘tea-party’ for aspiring Fellows of the body.

    NITP,  after its College of Fellows Committee meeting, which deliberated on the issue in Abuja, has come up with fresh criteria.

    For instance, the NITP Constitution, which states that an aspiring Fellow must be an active member for no less than 10 years, and must have made significant contributions to the profession in the areas of practice, administration, research or academics, has now been modified. According to the committee, the 10-year mark does not automatically qualify any full member to be a Fellow.

    An aspiring fellow must demonstrate that he or she has been an active member over the previous 10 years of Full Membership.

    The committee, chaired by Waheed Kadiri, listed parameters to be considered in becoming a Fellow. They include:

    • Activeness of member in the institute (membership of state chapter; evidence of regularity of attendance of meetings and programmes at chapter level/financial responsibility; regularity at national programmes; attendance of mandatory continuous professional development programme (MCPDPs); attendance/sponsorship of international programmes sponsored by the institute; financial responsibility; material contributions to the institute; positions held/achievements recorded at state chapter and national executive committees)
    • Practice (registration of private practice with NITP and Town Planners Registration Council of Nigeria (TOPREC); number of projects handled; types of projects handled; procedure of commission; basis of fees charged; number of professional colleagues involved; duration of project; evidence of acceptance and approval of project by the client; level of implementation of project and duration of project before review)
    • Administration (participation in policy formulation; proposals for preparation of masterplans and planning schemes to government/private individuals, and number of successes recorded); supervision of masterplan preparation and implementation; activities in development control and urban management; number of building plan approvals granted through applicant’s participation in the process; facilitation of enactment of Urban and Regional Planning Law, Planning Standards and Regulations in state/national levels; creating awareness on town planning)
    • Research (planning researches conducted and their relevance with evidence of reports produced; general response of public to research; areas of research in view; sponsorship of research)
    • Academics (years of experience in teaching; courses taught and level; number of student projects supervised; number of academic papers presented at national conferences or NITP journal; number of papers presented and published in international journals; number of books published)
    • General (disciplinary case with the institute; case of misconduct in the court of law; knowledge of the NITP constitution/URP law/code of ethics and professional practice; information on contemporary issues related to the profession; dressing and general comportment)

    While the first parameter (Activeness) carries 25 marks, the remaining five (Practice, Administration, Research, Academics and General) carry 15 marks each – totalling 100 marks. A cut-off pass mark of 60 per cent was recommended.

    “It is hoped that if these parameters are followed, there would be some measure of objectiveness and providing a level playing ground for all intending Fellows of the institute,”Kadiri, also a past president of the body, submitted.

    The Fellowship Class is the highest level of membership of the NITP. Other categories of membership include: Student, Graduate, Full and Retired. However, Honourary (as well as Fellowship) membership are conferred on persons not engaged in the practice of the profession, but have by reason of interest, made valuable contributions to the advancement of the theory and practice of town planning.

  • NITP set to eliminate quacks, unethical practices

    NITP set to eliminate quacks, unethical practices

    The Nigerian Institute of Town Planners (NITP) has stated that it will wield the big stick on any member for unprofessional practice. This was made known by the Institute at its 45th Annual Conference and General Meeting. The body also used the occasion to induct 115 new town planners into its fold.

    The immediate past president of the institute, Mr Steve Onu, also used the occasion to make a charge on his colleagues to eschew unprofessional acts which he said were capable of tarnishing not only their reputation but that of other professionals as well.

    “It doesn’t matter whether you got into this profession by accident, I also did too, but still I was able to rise to the position of the National President. Therefore, the sky is your limit, and as long as you professionalise and internalise what you’ve learnt, you will also make a success of this profession,” he declared.

    Other town planners at the event also called on the new professionals to choose the path of integrity, and keep at arms’ length any negative tendency and desperation for instant gratification.

    Onu listed some of the basic ‘ingredients’ that will help produce a successful town planner to include integrity, fairness, delayed gratification, professionalism, commitment to duty, not giving room for intimidation, especially from other professionals in the built environment, among others.

    In the meantime, when reeling out some of his programmes for the new administration, the new National President, Mr Olomola, said his administration would be working towards improving job creation for town planners, especially by working with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) for the introduction of Land Use Planning Report, which he said the apex bank would be expected to buy into with a view to making it a condition for the opening of any corporate accounts. He said the report would also prove useful in the processing and eventual issuance of C-of-Os for lands.

    He also added that his administration would also work towards completing and putting into good use, the institute’s assets – the Franklin Akinyemi and the Iba Buhari House – in Lagos and Abuja, respectively, among other ideas, which he believes, will help to move the institute forward.

    The AGM also saw to the election of new leaders who will be expected to hold key offices in the institution over the next two years.