Professor Wahab Egbewole, the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ilorin and a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, has urged professionals not to relinquish the fate of Nigeria solely to politicians.
Delivering a lecture titled “Town Planners, Sustainable Development, and Nation Building” at the 10th Waheed Kadiri Lecture Series in Abeokuta, Ogun State, Egbewole emphasized the importance of professionals actively participating in shaping the nation’s future.
The annual lecture, organized by the Ogun State chapter of the Nigerian Institute of Town Planners, is dedicated to honouring the former Rector of Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, Dr. Waheed Kadiri.
He said there is danger in leaving politicians solely in charge of developing Nigeria, saying “To a large extent, our decision-makers are illiterate”.
“It is now more imperative to allow professionals to build our nation than succumb to the manipulations of the few and octopus called government as represented by few misguided public officials”, Egbewole said.
He charged town planners “to promote lively and self-sustaining communities, town planning propositions must be ingenious to foster a mix of residential, commercial and recreational land uses and enforce zoning restrictions that allow for mixed-use projects, building a feeling of community and reducing commuting lengths, as far as practicable.
“Every plan should be people-centred. As a process, planning must follow the dictates of People leading in Addressing their Needs (PLAN) allowing the targeted beneficiaries to take leading roles in conception and settings.
“Town planners must prioritise and plan for efficient and well-maintained infrastructure, including transportation, utilities and public services that meet future requirements and provide fair access to essential services”.
In his remark, Kadiri called for strict implementation of government policies and plans on urban regeneration to prevent natural disasters.
