Town Planning Consultancy Trend in Nigeria: (The Private Sector Experiences)

Abstract

The professional Urban and Regional Planner is identified as a person who has gained mastery or proficiency in planning skills, and is guided by a set of codes and ethical standards under the regulatory framework of a professional body. Professional Urban and Regional Planning consultancy in Nigeria as an outburst of The Town Planners Registration Council of Nigeria (TOPREC) established in 1988 like other professions is occasioned by socio-economic, political, administrative issues in its growth and survival. This was informed by its activities in 33 years of formal practice. This paper views the trend of the Urban and Regional Planning private practice in Nigeria with the aim of analyzing the trend in practice. The objectives are to determine the number of professional town planners, assess the town planning practice environment and to ascertain the principles of town planning practice in Nigeria. The methodology applied is qualitative in-depth review approach. It was found that Town Planning consultancy in the country is growing but has not met the desired inputs in practice over time because of economic, political and technical challenges among others. To this end, it was recommended that Consulting Town Planners should be interesting in the politics of the day in the country, there should be consistency in policy and programmes of city management by government, quick resolution of internal conflicts in the practice regulatory body (TOPREC) whenever issues arise, development of regular professional training in related technologies and involvement of financial institution in project execution in order to sustain the growing trend of practice.