NITP overhauls benchmarks to pick fellows

It will no longer be business as usual for those wishing to become a Fellow of the Nigerian Institute of Town Planners (NITP) following a review recently in Abuja of the guidelines for selection to the “prestigious group”. The review was one of several activities at a week-long retreat organised by the institute. Others are […]

It will no longer be business as usual for those wishing to become a Fellow of the Nigerian Institute of Town Planners (NITP) following a review recently in Abuja of the guidelines for selection to the “prestigious group”.
The review was one of several activities at a week-long retreat organised by the institute. Others are the finalisation of a model LUPAR report (to produce the multi-user template) and handover of the institute’s Examination Board.
The fellowship class is the highest level of membership of the NITP, which lists other categories of membership to include: Student, Graduate, Full and Retired. However, Honourary (as well as Fellowship) membership are conferred on persons not engaged in the practice of the profession but have, by reason of interest, made valuable contributions to the advancement of the theory and practice of town planning.
But, worried by the fact that members are being admitted into the Fellowship Class despite the absence of a clear cut criteria, the institute had indeed made attempts in the past to overhaul the existing benchmark. For instance, courtesy of the College of Fellows, a committee was set up to review existing criteria and present to the College for consideration before any other election. Though the committee was given a period of three months to submit its report, it never materialised.
However, the latest attempts to address inherent flaws came by way of the inauguration of a fresh College of Fellows Committee that deliberated on the issue for a couple of days in Abuja. The committee comprises: Tpl Waheed Kadiri (chairman), Tpl (Dr) Helen Anazia, Tpl (Dr) Don Okpala, Tpl (Dr) Stephen Hirse and Tpl Barnabas Atiyaye. NITP president, Tpl (Dr) Femi Olomola, inaugurated the committee.
Essentially, the NITP Constitution states that an aspiring Fellow must be an active full member for no less than 10 years, and made significant contributions to the profession in the areas of practice, administration, research or academics.