To better serve the State in its capacity as regulators in the built industry, the Ogun State Planning and Development Permit Authority (OGPDPA) has organized a 2-day training on the “Extant Law and Regulations” that guides the activities of the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development, its agencies.

The training, which is part of routine capacity building to better equip staff to do their jobs conscientiously for the overall improved physical development of the State, was held at Oba’s Complex, State Secretariat, Oke Mosan, Abeokuta, and had in attendance all officers in the Ministry and the three agencies, Ogun State Planning and Development Permit Authority (OGPDPA), Ogun State Building Production Management Authority (OGBPMA) and Ogun State Slum Regeneration Authority (OGSRA).  

Commissioner in the Ministry, TPl. Olatunji Odunlami, who also served as the resource person, emphasized that the activities of the Ministry and its agencies were guided by the Ogun State Urban and Regional Planning and Development (OGURPD) Law 2022 and the five Regulations, noting the need for all staff to be conversant with every aspect as they have to deploy it daily in the discharge of their duties.

“Since our activities are guided by law, we found it essential for officers to be kept abreast of happenings around them as guided by the regulations, so that they themselves will not run afoul of the law, because the law is binding on both the makers of the law, and those that will obey it,” the Commissioner emphasized.

Also speaking, the Permanent Secretary, Engr. Sakirudeen Salam, noted that most of the staff in the Ministry and its agencies were field workers who have to interface with the public regularly, and must thus be regularly trained on how to handle such interactions legally, to reduce incidences of litigations, man-handling of staff and other such occurrences.

The Acting General Manager, OGPDPA, TPl Itunuoluwa Jolaoluwa, said the Governor assented to the Law in 2022, necessitating the need for the training of officers in the fine details of the Law and each specific regulation, as well as the interpretations.

 According to her, “this training is designed to put everyone on the same page, so that the interpretation and implementation of the Law and regulations is uniform across all zones of the State, as they could be posted to function in any capacity.”

Appreciating the management on behalf of other trainees, TPl Taiwo Adeoye stated that the training was a comprehensive, section by section examination and analysis of the of the OGURPD Law 2022 and 5 Regulations which has deepened their understanding of their job specification.

The OGURPD Law 2022 has 103 sections, while the Ogun State Planning and Development Permit Authority Regulation has 52 Sections; Ogun State Building Production Management Authority Regulations has 53 Sections; Ogun State Slum Regeneration Authority has 28 Sections; Ogun State Outdoor Physical Furniture Regulation 2022 has 21 Sections; and Ogun State Layout and Land Subdivision 2022 has 27 Sections.