From Laide Raheem, Abeokuta
Determined to prevent building collapse and haphazard development, the Ogun State Government, has unveiled a Building and Construction Code 2025 Document and Five Regulations, to guide construction and building in the state.
The Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development in the state, Tunji Odunlami, who made this known while briefing journalists at his office in Abeokuta, said that the five regulations and the code were approved by Ogun State House of Assembly, to enhance safety in construction of buildings and similar infrastructures in the state.
He listed the new regulations to include the Ogun State Planning and Development Permit Regulation 2025;
Ogun State Slum Regeneration Regulation 2025; Ogun State Building Production Management Regulation 2025; Ogun State Outdoor Physical Furniture Regulation 2025 and, Ogun State Layout and Land Subdivision Regulation 2025.
He added that the legal instruments collectively represent a bold and necessary step towards ensuring that Ogun State remains orderly, safe, environmentally sustainable, and nationally acknowledged in its physical planning and urban development activities.
Odunlami disclosed that when he resumed office as in late 2019, his ministry and an agency were operating under a principal law and one regulation for planning and management of the physical development of Ogun State.
He, however, expressed delight that the ministry had since been restructured in accordance with the vision of Governor Dapo Abiodun-led administration from the one ministry and one agency into one ministry and three agencies – Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development; Ogun State Planning and Development Permit Authority; Ogun State Slum Regeneration Authority and Ogun State Building Production Management Authority.
The Commissioner further explained that the Construction Code 2025 is derived from the Nigerian National Building Code, adding Ogun is the first state in the country to adopt and domesticate the code
Odunlami noted that Ogun in the last five years has witnessed rapid development across the length and breadth of its geographical space, emphasizing that the situation requires a constant review and reengineering of the Ministry’s operations and processes in order to be responsive to the changing development landscape and be ahead of developments.
“These legal instruments are designed to address our physical planning and development challenges by ensuring proper planning and coordinated urban development, promoting standard and safe building construction practices, enhancing environmental sustainability, improving the aesthetical quality of our cities and communities, and protecting lives, property, and investments.
“The rapid pace of urbanization in Ogun State has brought great opportunities to the citizens. As growth is desirable, unregulated development can lead to poor urban living, proliferation of informal settlements, building collapses, and environmental degradation. I therefore need to emphasize that compliance with these regulations is mandatory, and I hereby call on all stakeholders in the built environment including, landowners, property developers, builders and contractors, artisans and construction workers, the general public, but most importantly, the practitioners of the built environment professions, to adhere to the provisions of these regulations”, Odunlami added.
While reiterating that the Ogun State Government remains committed to providing an enabling environment for compliance, he said his ministry has strengthened the relevant Departments and Agencies under it to ensure efficient service delivery.
“We have considerably improved and will continuously improve the planning permit processes to deliver permits timeously. We have introduced e-planning in six pilot zones of Isheri, Ota, Abeokuta Metro, Abeokuta Central, Sagamu, and Ijebu-Ode. It is now possible for anyone who intends to process planning permit for their development in areas covered by these zones, to submit their application on-line from the comfort of wherever location they are on the surface of the earth. These offices also have help desks to assist those who may have challenges in using this platform from the comfort of their locations. This is intended to make the planning permit process more transparent, accessible and efficient”, Odunlami submitted.
