The Nigerian Institute of Town Planners, NITP, in Ogun, has pledged to strengthen partnerships with the state government and the Federal Polytechnic, Ilaro, to address infrastructural challenges posed by rapid population growth and industrialisation in parts of the state.
The state chairman, TPL Adefela Sogbesan, bemoaned that communities such as Ilaro and Ibese in Yewa South Local Government Area are experiencing a population boom without corresponding infrastructure upgrades.
Sogbesan, who spoke during the institute’s August monthly general meeting held in Ilaro, linked the surge to the presence of major industries, which has transformed the area into a busy industrial corridor.
He said, “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”.
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), TPL Lukman Lasisi, who stood in for the Rector.
Lasisi emphasised that town planning should create livable environments that balance residential, commercial, and educational needs, assuring the institute of the polytechnic’s readiness to work together.
He urged the institute to 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.
In another development, the NITP team also visited the Chairman of Yewa South Local Government, 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.
