Town planners, under the aegis of Nigerian Institute of Town Planning (NITP), Lagos State Chapter, have called for stronger collaboration between the state ministries of urban development & physical planning and science and technology, saying that without synergy government might not realize set objectives.
The call came during a recent courtesy visit the chapter paid Segun Adeniji, permanent secretary of the Lagos State Ministry of Science & Technology at Alausa.
The town planners maintained that rapid development seen in urban cities across the globe is driven by information technology, and expressed their willingness to support the ministry in this regard.
This collaboration, they said, should entail creating ICT units within various units and agencies affiliated to the ministry to resolve technical issues confronting urban planning.
Bisi Adedire, President of the Chapter, lamented the strenuous procedures for obtaining physical planning permit for any development in Lagos State, saying it did not befit a metropolitan city like Lagos.
Adedire noted that only three districts in Lagos has e-planning operating system, but it is nothing in a densely-populated city like Lagos, fueling the institute’s readiness to provide technical support for full implementation of e-permit in the state.
The town planners posited that technologically advanced countries have adopted Fibre Optics to Homes (FTTH) to replace Cell Tower, otherwise known as telecommunication masts.
“Some telecommunication providers have embraced this trend by installing underground fibre optic cables in some parts of Lagos,” Adedire said, urging service providers to toe this path.
“We would suggest that you create a synergy with the Lagos State Infrastructure Maintenance Regulatory Agency (LASMIRA) to ensure that the use of Fibre Optics cable becomes a major criterion for the issuance of permits to telecoms service providers in Lagos State”, he added.
In managing a mega city such as Lagos, they remarked that geo-spatial data information is pertinent as it provides information about the current state of development and the nature of land use changes that have occurred over a period of time.
The full implementation of Lagos State Geo-Information Infrastructure Policy (LAGIS) and spatial data sharing, Adedire opined, would enable the Lagos State Planning Information Centre (LASPIC) operate in full capacity and help facilitate the collection of planning information electronically by developers.
Giving his remarks, Adeniji stated that the issues raised by the delegation were part of the agenda of the state government.
“We would come up with a list of those departments that require ICT expertise in the ministry, and furnish the ministry with the required staff and equipment in various districts” said Adeniji, adding that the ministry was willing to partner with the institute on staffing.
Israel Odubola
