Ogun’s Rapid Growth Raises Planning Concerns as ATOPCON Demands Stronger Development Control

Daud Olatunji

The Association of Town Planning Consultants of Nigeria, ATOPCON, Ogun State Branch, has raised concerns over mounting development pressure arising from rapid urbanisation and industrial expansion across the state, warning that inadequate planning and weak development control could produce uncoordinated physical growth with far-reaching consequences for communities.

The association said the expanding urban centres and major growth corridors were creating new economic opportunities but were simultaneously placing increasing pressure on infrastructure, housing, transportation, land use, environmental management and development control.

The Chairman of ATOPCON, Ogun State Branch, TPL Rauf Adebanjo, raised the concern at the association’s 2026 Annual General Meeting held in Abeokuta on Thursday, stressing the need for a more coordinated and sustainable approach to the state’s physical development.

Adebanjo said Ogun was undergoing significant transformation as a result of rapid urbanisation and industrialisation, particularly along major development corridors.

He, however, warned that the pace of development required corresponding planning interventions to prevent uncontrolled expansion and its attendant consequences.

“Ogun State is experiencing rapid urbanisation, industrial expansion and increasing development pressure, particularly along major growth corridors.

“These changes create opportunities but also present challenges relating to infrastructure, transportation, housing, environmental management, land-use conversion and development control,” he said.

The ATOPCON chairman called for urgent and sustained attention to the emerging challenges, saying effective physical planning was essential to ensuring that the state’s economic growth translated into orderly, safe and sustainable communities.

He urged town planning consultants to continuously upgrade their professional knowledge and embrace emerging technologies, including Geographic Information Systems, digital mapping, data-driven planning and climate-resilient planning approaches.

Adebanjo also called for stronger public advocacy on the consequences of uncoordinated physical development, urging town planners to take their expertise beyond professional offices and participate more actively in public education and policy discussions.

He said ATOPCON would continue to strengthen the professional capacity of its members and deepen collaboration with government and other stakeholders to ensure that town planning expertise remained central to the development process in Ogun.

Responding to the broader concerns raised at the AGM, the Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, TPL Olatunji Olusoga Odunlami, said the Ogun State Government was already taking steps to strengthen the planning framework in response to the challenges created by rapid industrialisation and urban expansion.

Odunlami, who chaired the occasion, said the government had reviewed the 2022 Physical Planning and Development Law, with the 2025 editions introduced to make the regulatory framework more responsive to emerging development realities.

He also disclosed the introduction of the Ogun State Building and Construction Code 2025, which he said was designed to promote sustainable structures and address challenges associated with inadequate planning, building collapse and flooding.

According to him, the reforms were also intended to strengthen planning input, give the town planning profession greater recognition and encourage practitioners to develop their businesses into properly structured professional consulting firms.

The commissioner urged town planning consultants operating in Ogun to obtain accreditation from the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development.

He said accreditation would assist the government in identifying and tracking certified town planners and ensuring that professionals practising in the state were properly registered.

Odunlami commended firms that had already obtained ministry accreditation and urged other practitioners to regularise their practices.

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