Ex-Lagos commissioner urges town planners to embrace collaboration

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A town planning expert and former Lagos State Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Dr Idris Salako, has urged professionals in the built environment to embrace collaboration, saying multidisciplinary practice is essential for effective service delivery and the development of sustainable communities.

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Salako made the call on Thursday while delivering his keynote address at the 2026 Annual General Meeting of the Association of Town Planning Consultants of Nigeria, held in Abeokuta with the theme, “Tendering and Bidding for Planning Jobs and Collaboration Among Firms.”

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He pointed out that although consultants were taught in school that town planning was a multidisciplinary profession requiring practitioners to work with experts in other fields to achieve better results, many still did not take the counsel as seriously as they should.

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Salako explained, “Town planning is a multidisciplinary profession, and collaboration is necessary for effective delivery. Although we were taught this in school, many consultants have not taken collaboration seriously. This affects the profession and the quality of what we deliver.”

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The expert, however, cautioned town planners against entering into partnerships without conducting proper checks on prospective collaborators. He stressed the need for professionals to establish the pedigree, competence and credibility of those they intended to work with to ensure that collaboration did not expose them or their clients to risks.

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The former commissioner said, “Before collaborating with anyone, you must know the pedigree of the person or organisation you want to work with. “Proper checks must be carried out to ensure safety and protect the integrity of the profession.”

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Corroborating this position, a former Rector of Moshood Abiola Polytechnic and former National President of the Nigerian Institute of Town Planners, Dr Waheed Kadiri, said there was a need for a shift from cooperation to genuine collaboration among professionals in the built environment to ensure efficient project delivery and knowledge transfer.

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Kadiri noted that while cooperation implied accepting everything as presented, collaboration required mutual respect for professional input. “Collaboration is different from cooperation. You cooperate when you accept anything. That’s cooperation. Collaboration is more,” he said.

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Speaking as the chairman of the occasion, the Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development in Ogun State, Tpl Tunji Odunlami, disclosed that the state government had continued to review its policies and regulations in response to physical development challenges arising from rapid industrialisation.

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Odunlami said the government had introduced revised physical planning regulations and the Ogun State Building and Construction Code 2025 as part of measures to strengthen development control, improve professional town planning practice and curb building collapse.

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According to him, the 2025 editions of the state’s Urban and Regional Planning and Development Law and its regulations were introduced after four years of implementing the previous legal framework, in response to emerging trends and the rapid pace of physical development in the state.

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He described the Ogun State Building and Construction Code 2025 as the first of its kind introduced by a state government in Nigeria.

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The commissioner also said the government had tailored its planning regulations to raise the standard of professional town planning practice, improve the visibility of the profession and encourage practitioners to operate as properly established professional consulting firms rather than as individuals.

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He said the move would enhance the recognition of town planning practitioners and improve their financial prospects while strengthening professionalism in the built environment.

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He commended town planning consulting firms that had registered and accredited their practices with the state Ministry of Physical and Environmental Development, urging others to follow suit.

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He added that stronger professional structures would help improve the visibility and recognition of town planning as a key profession within the built environment.

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The commissioner also identified flooding and other environmental challenges as issues requiring stronger planning interventions, noting that inadequate planning and dysfunctional development patterns could contribute to environmental problems.

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He urged town planning professionals to continue contributing to public discussions on physical development and environmental management while improving their professional practice.

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In his welcome address, the Ogun State branch chairman of ATOPCON, Tpl Rauf Adebanjo, charged members to remain at the forefront of the state’s rapid physical and economic transformation.

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Adebanjo maintained that planning decisions taken today would determine the quality, functionality and sustainability of settlements in Ogun State for years to come.

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He urged town planning consultants to continue providing sound, professional and objective advice and to strengthen the association while upholding the highest standards of practice to ensure ATOPCON remained a respected voice in the physical development of the state.

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Adebanjo further called on members to remain committed, united and forward-looking towards building a stronger and more vibrant branch.

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