Business

Experts Canvass Building Plans Approval Processes Review

Published

10 years ago

August 3, 2015

Some real estate
development experts have demanded an overhaul of the process leading to the approval of building plans by state governments.
They said in an interview with newsmen in Lagos last Thursday that government bureaucracy in getting building plan approvals was posing a huge obstacle to bridging the nation’s housing deficit.
According to them, the process is cumbersome, too demanding and time wasting in meeting the needs of urbanisation and overall development.
Mr Makinde Ogunleye, former Chairman, Nigerian Institute of Planners (NITP), Lagos Branch, said that the property industry might not record significant growth until the process was overhauled to reflect the demands of housing in an emerging economy.
Ogunleye said that the obstacles in acquiring the approvals had greatly slowed down the pace of structural developments in the states.
He said that some developers and investors, who showed interest in the sector, had in most cases pulled out following the difficulties they encountered in the process.
Ogunleye said that the bureaucratic bottleneck had also made many developers to circumvent the laws by building without approved documents from the government.
“A good number of projects in the state are now being developed without a building plan certificate.
“The underdevelopment of this industry can be repositioned if developers are given the permit to embark on project developments as they wanted,” he said.
Also speaking, Mr Ladipo Lewis, Chairman, Nigerian Institute of Architects (NIA), Lagos Branch, also raised the issue of disparity in approvals issued by governments.
Lewis said that the classified treatment of various applications also contributed to the dismal interest of investors, especially foreign concerns in the nation’s real estate sector.
“The whole system is corrupt, what they require from Mr A is different from that of Mr B.
“The process and requirements need to be reviewed to make it more transparent and uniform to all, irrespective of the individuals’ status,” he said.
Mr Ayo Adejumo, Executive Secretary, Association of Town Planning Consultants of Nigeria (ATOPCON) said that an application was not supposed to exceed 30 days before approval.
Adejumo said that the requirements for getting the approvals have not been clearly publicised for the general public to be aware.
“Many people do not have adequate knowledge of all it entails to get a building plan approval from the state government to develop projects.
“The responsible authorities for issuing this document should come out openly and announce to the public, the stipulations, terms and conditions guiding it,” he said.
He also said that some amendments had been made to the procedures and requirements without formal notification to the public.

Business

NPA Assures On Staff Welfare

Published

2 days ago

June 27, 2025

The Tide

The Managing Director, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho, has said the management will continue to accompany its port infrastructure and equipment modernization drive with the development of the welfare of its personnel.

Dantsoho made the disclosure recently while responding to the commendation by the Maritime Workers Union (MWUN) and the senior Staff Association of Statutory Corporations and Government-Owned Companies (SSASGOC) on the clearing of the age-long problem of employee stagnation, when the union paid him a courtesy visit at the Authority’s headquarters in Lagos.

A Statement by NPA’s General Manager Corporate & Strategic Communications, Mr. Ikechukwu Onyemekara, quoted Dantsoho as saying, “our Port infrastructure and equipment modernization drive will go hand-in-hand with continuous staff welfare improvement”.

The NPA MD disclosed that human capital development constitutes the key strategy for creating and sustaining superior performance under his watch, adding that “talent development constitutes a critical success factor for the actualization of the big hairy audacious goals we have set for ourselves especially in the area of Port competitiveness.

“The only way we can meet and indeed exceed stakeholders’ expectations is to deepen the competencies of our human resources assets and boosting their morale.”

Speaking further, Dantsoho commended the Honourable Minister of Marine & Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, for approving the strategic proposal of the Dantsoho-led Management team that solved the over a decade-long problem of lack of promotion that had fuelled industrial disharmony.

“I must specially appreciate our amiable Minister for graciously approving the multi-pronged stratagem we deployed that cleared all outstanding cases of employee stagnation by conducting examinations in one fell swoop and instituted timelines to forestall a recurrence of such anomaly”, he sad.

Speaking on behalf of the joint maritime labour unions, the President of Senior Staff Association of Statutory Corporations & Government-Owned Companies (SSASCGOC), Comrade Bodunde stated, “In addition to clearance of the backlog of stagnated promotions, we also wish to express our appreciation for the increase in productivity bonuses, provision of end-of-year welfare packages for staff, and the revision of the Financial Guide to the Condition of Service, which now addresses our members’ concerns about inflationary pressures.”

Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos

Business

ANLCA Chieftain Emerges FELCBA’s VP

Published

2 days ago

June 27, 2025

The Tide

National Secretary of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Elder Olumide Fakanlu, has been elected Vice President of the Federation of ECOWAS Licensed Customs Brokers Association (FELCBA).

The election took place during the FELCBA Congress, held from Tuesday, June 17th to Thursday, June 19th, 2025, in Freetown, Sierra Leone.

Fakanlu’s emergence as Vice President marks a significant achievement for Nigeria within the regional customs brokerage community.

Apart from Fakanlu, Secretary of the Seme Chapter of ANLCA, Austin Nwosu, was also elected, securing the role of Secretary of Relations with Institutions.

The Nigerian delegation played an active role in the congress, with Michael Ebeatu nominated as a member of the electoral officer team, ensuring a fair and transparent election process.

The three-day congress concluded with delegates undertaking a visit to the Sierra Leone Port, offering insights into the host nation’s maritime operations, followed by a recreational trip to the Tokeh Beach.

The newly elected executives are expected to lead FELCBA in its efforts to harmonize customs brokerage practices, promote trade facilitation, and advocate for the interests of licensed customs brokers across the ECOWAS sub-region.

Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos

Business

NSC, Police Boost Partnership On Port Enforcement

Published

2 days ago

June 27, 2025

The Tide

In a bid to enhance more enforcement in the nation’s Port, the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) has reaffirmed its commitment to stronger inter-agency collaboration with the Nigeria Police Force (NPF).

The Council said the collaboration is aimed at enhancing stronger enforcement, compliance and improve operational efficiency across Nigeria’s ports.

Executive Secretary/Chief Executive Officer of NSC, Dr. Pius Akutah, made this known during a visit to the Inspector-General of Police, Dr. Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, at the Force Headquarters, Abuja.

The visit, which he said, focused on strengthening institutional synergy, comes in the wake of growing responsibilities for the NSC under the newly created Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy.

Akutah emphasized the critical role of security agencies in supporting port operations and ensuring regulatory compliance.

He called for the posting of police officers to assist the Council’s monitoring and enforcement teams at key port locations including Lagos, Warri, Onne, Port Harcourt, and Calabar.

“The posting will complement the activities of our revived task teams and enhance our ability to enforce standards across the maritime logistics chain”, he said.

Earlier, the Inspector-General of Police, Dr. Egbetokun, assured the Council of the Force’s readiness to continue supporting the growth of the maritime sector.

The IGP acknowledged that compliance enforcement is essential to the successful implementation of Nigeria’s Blue Economy objectives.

“The NSC and NPF are expected to deepen collaboration in the months ahead, with a shared focus on building a secure, efficient, and competitive port environment”, to the IGP emphasized.

Chinedu Wosu