Institute demands improvement on E-planning permit approval process
E-planning
By Lilian Okoro
Lagos, June 17, 2019 (NAN) The Nigerian Institute of Town Planning (NITP) Lagos Chapter, has called on the state government to provide the necessary facilities to improve operation of the Electronic Planning Permit Process.
Mr Bisi Adedire, Chairman of the Institute, made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Lagos.
He told NAN that the electronic approach to processing of planning permit approvals had not been made efficient, and as a result, had yet to make positive impact on the process.
Adedire said that the government had not provided the requisite infrastructure and facilities needed to ensure effective operation of the system.
He emphasised the need for improvement on the electronic method of processing the building plan permit approvals.
According to him, the electronic pattern is supposed to leverage the whole process to make it less cumbersome, better and faster, but processing of building plan approval even seems to be more rigorous when processed electronically.
“Normally, it is not supposed to exceed three working days for an applicant to obtain planning permit approvals, especially when it is processed online and electronically.
“But the process still consumes the same quantity of money and time. Sometimes, the manual method seems to be preferable.
“It is not all the planning district offices that have the E-planning permit platform yet, while the few offices that claim to have upgraded to the platform do not have enough computers and other manpower to carry out the operation.
“Even the offices that have the required computer systems do not have steady power supply.
“So, there is need for the government to restructure the whole system, starting from adequate training of the staff down to provision of infrastructure and facilities, to improve the system,’’ he said.
Adedire, however, expressed optimism that the move by Lagos State House of Assembly to amend existing regulations in building and planning processes would address most of the challenges in the system.
He said that the amendment was in respect of the Building Control Regulations, 2018 and Planning Permit Regulations 2015, to awaken consciousness of everybody as regards building development.
The chairman also said that the E-planning permit approval process had not been given enough publicity.
He stressed the need to create more public awareness and education on the electronic approach, to encourage people to understand the system and embrace it. (NAN)
LUC/AOM/SOA
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Edited by Abdullahi Mohammed/Oluwole Sogunle
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