The Association of Town Planning Consultants of Nigeria (ATOPCON) has urged practitioners to strive to provide quality service to clients to sustain the enviable position of town planning practice in the society.
The President of the association, Mr Olaide Afolabi, gave the charge while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday, January 4, 2018 in Lagos.
Afolabi said it was no longer enough to concentrate on a single aspect of the town planning profession.
He said there were different facets of the profession that could be harnessed by the practitioners to become readily relevant to the society.
“The practitioners must be interdisciplinary – system specialists who will bring together, coordinate and manage the entire system to solve complex societal problems and promote sustainable development,’’ he said.
He said professional associations must provide leadership and enforce relevant codes and standards that make economic advancement high priority in their professional practice.
“Let practitioners strive to deliver projects based on the principles of performance, reliability, durability, aesthetics and perceived quality.
“Project management process requires good planning, monitoring and controlling. And without the processes, quality service could not be effectively delivered by Nigerian practising town planners,” he said.
Adolabi said that sustainable development of the country required positive and sustained action by individuals, communities, government and institutions.
He, therefore, urged practising town planners never to deviate from the guiding codes of ethics of the profession which centred on total commitment to professionalism, the good of the society and the development of infrastructure.
By Lilian Chukwu
