MEET TPL OLUGBENGA OLADIMEJI ASHIRU
Tpl Olugbenga Oladimeji ASHIRU was born over forty years ago into the popular Ashiru family of Ijebu-Ode, in Ijebu-Ode Local Government Area of Ogun State. His place of birth is Palm Groove in Lagos State. He became a Registered Town Planner in 2010 after obtaining a Professional Diploma in Urban and Regional Planning in 2006. He is a member of the following professional bodies; Nigerian Institute of Town Planners and Town Planners Registration Council of Nigeria. His professional achievements in the field of planning are:
National Public Relations Secretary, Nigerian Institute of Town Planners (2016- to date).
Assistant National Public Relations Secretary, Nigerian Institute of Town Planners (2014- 2016).
Ex-Officio II, Nigerian Institute of Town Planners (Ogun State Chapter) 2015- To date.
Public Relation/Social Secretary, Nigerian Institute of Town Planners (Ogun State Chapter) 2010–2011.
Assistant Secretary, Nigerian Institute of Town Planners (Ogun State Chapter) 2011 – 2012.
Secretary, Nigerian Institute of Town Planners (Ogun State Chapter) 2013– 2015.
The Secretary, Nigerian Institute of Town Planners, Ogun State Chapter Revenue Generating committee, 2010.
The Secretary, Nigerian Institute of Town Planners Ogun State Chapter Building Committee, 2008.
Chairman, NITP Ogun State Chapter, Publication Committee 2010.
As the Public Relations Secretary of Ogun State Chapter; Tpl. Ashiru Olugbenga introduced;
A monthly news Bulletin Publication called Town Planners Windows.
Production of season’s greetings cards and vehicle stickers.
The first Calendar of the State Chapter. (Ogun State)
The first State Chapter to have a Facebook account on social media. (Ogun State)
The first State Chapter to have a web site address. (Ogun State)
Tpl Olugbenga Oladimeji ASHIRU has passion to help in building, achieving and or sustaining environmental qualities by putting into use every useful and available resource to enhance value and thereby promoting succession and continuity. It was based on this that he organized lectures for candidates of NITP/TOPREC exam and TOPREC exam for nine years in Ogun state, the lectures has produced many registered Town Planners across the state. He was employed into the Ogun State Civil Service as a Higher Technical Officer in 2004.
LOLADE: As student and graduate planners, majority of us were offered provisional admission we couldn't reject due to one reason or the other. Some enrolled for SLT, AGRIC, etc. But we were given URP. Perhaps that is why we are experiencing degeneracy? As a practising town planning who had passed through all this stages, could you please sir share a bit of your academic struggle as planning student?
TPL ASHIRU: I shared a similar experience and I traced this to the low level of awareness the profession got then, we can’t compare town planning course with others that are as old as human existence. However life is a challenge and one must find a way to improve on it, student and graduate planners were not forced to remain in the course, they can change their Course, they find something unique in the course and choose to remain but what is missing is PASSION and MENTORSHIP which I wrote about in one of my paper Town Planning and the Missing Link. You are a trainnee in a course for four to five years and you still don’t want To accept it as your calling …Na Swegbey scud. I first of all went to a technical school to study mechanical and craft practices, and then to the polythenic to study science lab tech before crossing to town planning. My summary of all is that, how you get to where you are should not be the issues but what you do to get to where you want should be the issue.
LOLADE: I must also assert that Urban and Regional Planning is a very broad profession that needs specialization right from undergraduate level. Sir, majority of students are confused, they don't know what is what and who is who. As planners would say "Planning is Jack of all trade" this popular saying is discouraging and most time resulted to student getting confused on what is and what is not, and ended up not being able to boost of confidence in main courses which are the real PLANNING. Sir, my point is, We think planning should have specialization right from the root and not at the end. What would you say sir?
TPL ASHIRU: I Disagree with the assertion that planning should have specialization right from the root and not at the end, I disagree because planning is wide, big and interwoven its like medicine, law and other courses that have wide coverage. For example, how can you be a city planner when you don’t know housing, transportation, economics etc. As a Town Planner, these are some examples of what you could do:
City Planner.
Community development officers.
Conflict Resolution mediator/negotiation.
Economic development officer.
Environmental Planner.
Geographic Information System Planning.
Heritage Coordinator.
Housing Analyst.
Industrial Planner.
Landuse Planner.
Municipal Planner.
Planning Director.
Planning Consultant.
Policy Analyst.
Recreation and Park Planner.
Regional Planner.
Resource development Officer.
Social Planner.
Transportation Planner.
Urban designer.
LOLADE: Student Planners are of two categories, Policy lovers and Design lovers. I am a design Lover and at the same time I don't joke with the policy aspect of Urban and Regional Planning as it forms basis of my designs. Which of the two would you advised students to focus much on? Which of the two do you think can put more food on our table also as an aspiring Town Planners?
TPL ASHIRU: Hmm... I don’t understand what you mean by Policy lovers and Design lovers, but if what you are referring to as Design lovers, are students who are good with studio design and Policy lovers are students good with report and theories then I respond by telling you that you need both to be a planner, if you don’t have the theoretical base for your design it’s simply a colored paper, and a voluminous report without graphical representation is incomplete, you need the two to put food on our table.
LOLADE: Sir, NITP as an institute, it's membership varies, ranging from student member to an honorary member. Sir, for Planning students (diploma, BSC / BTECH and other related) would you advised them to pick up a student membership form? If yes sir, please elaborate on why they should or must.
TPL ASHIRU: I think one of the mistake of young planners is not joining NITP as Student member, As a student member you learn a lot about the profession you are going into, you mix and see people who already are established in the profession, you have a mentor, you learn a lot and gain a lot as a student member of NITP, if I might ask, how many student knows town planners who have excel apart from their lecturers, what’s the mission and vision of NITP, what’s the core values of the Institute. You don’t need to wait until after graduation before you know your institute and the people running it using myself as an example I started attending NITP meeting as an observer from year 2 in the higher institution and today I am part of the management team. You can only make a better change when you are part of the team.
LOLADE: There was a day one graduate planner took to his facebook page to decry the process of becoming a registered town planner. According to him sir "Process required to become a RTP is even harder than applying for USA visa". Sir, as one of the most respected leader in the field of planning and as well as the national PRO of NITP, Why do aspiring planners have to wait so long to get registered?
TPL ASHIRU: It’s a wrong information, and it exposes the ignorance of that young planner on the requirements but for clarity sake, to be a register planner all you need is to write TOPREC Exam, two years experience after graduation and this experience can be achieve or gain with any town planning organization or firm, while to to be a member is to the start with a state chapter, download form online, fill and submit to the national secteriact, although one must two years post qualification experience.
LOLADE: Should I say we are unemployable after over 5years studying URP? The level of unemployment of graduate planners is rising day by day. In what way can our parent bodies (NITP, TOPREC, ATOPCON and YPF) help us increase chances of getting jobs before being registered. Often times we're always at the mercy of registered town planners. Some programme could be brought up to get the long-term unemployed back to work.
TPL ASHIRU: Unemployment of graduate is a national issue but as a planner we can’t get something out of nothing graduate planners needs to be proactive and address this national monster that face the nation. but on planning and job hunting please read my article titled Town Planning And Job Hunting. it’s not about our parent bodies (NITP, TOPREC, ATOPCON and YPF) alone its about our individual effort to promote planning and fight for our right.
LOLADE: Another thing worthy of attention is the level of unemployment of graduate planners after school. After school most graduates don't know where to go or what to do, as per say they want to continue with planning and don't want to delve into just any job they ended up staying home complaining about the level of unemployment in the field of planning. Sir, after your graduation from higher institution what step did you took in respect to what i had established here?
TPL ASHIRU: After school I went into media by presenting a programme on OGTV called Environment and You, I love to be an advocate and I still remain an environmental critics.
LOLADE: Was your first job planning related?
YES....
LOLADE: When did you decide to work as a public town planning officer? And what, in your opinion, is the best age to start/decide?
TPL ASHIRU: Public Town Planning Officer? Is just by accident, i started early, 3 yrs after graduation
LOLADE: We learnt that as a lecturer, one can still operate a private planning firm unlike those at private sector who can only stick to their government work. Most students still couldn't unravelled why the previledges is limited to lecturers. Please, shed more light on this, and as well educate us more on this.
TPL ASHIRU: You can’t write a report over a proposal that you might decide on in approval or influence its approval for example you can’t be a judge over your own case.
LOLADE: In planning profession, recognition matters! There are thousands of work out there (master plan, urban design and renewal, EIA, campus design and many others) but it takes a powerful, influential and strong town planners to get one. Some says it's politics, others says it is what you're able to showcase to the world (but most times, no work/project to showcase ability and capability). Sir, What are the best way to get noticed and achieve professional representation?
TPL ASHIRU: Those that say its politics, are right and others that says it is what you're able to showcase to the world are also right, politics without ability and capability is ZERO, Ability and capability without politics limit opportunities, the best way to get noticed and achieve professional representation is to involve in the two.
LOLADE: To us student and graduate planners, planning is about allocation of spaces for other environmental scientists to work on. Please sir, can you tell us more about the day-to-day responsibilities of this profession?
TPL ASHIRU: Planning isn’t about day-day activities, it is about the existence of human, be it social, economic, physical etc. planning is involved in every segment. It all need planning, if you limit to day to day activities what about night to night activities? So every seconds that human exists, there is need for planning.
LOLADE: Does one have to be exceptional or guruish in the field of Urban Planning before one can Excel? Sir, what do you think are the most important qualities for someone to excel as Urban and Regional Planner?
TPL ASHIRU: Some of the qualities that can aid excellence in the field of planning include: Being natural, Equity and fairness. Realistic also to excel in the field of planning, one has to be “PROACTIVE” and plan with the people. Planning is more than theories and design, it should be about practicable approach in solving issues because planning is a social science
LOLADE: Planning itself is not limited to the present, it much more focused on the future. It's future oriented. Sir, where do you think planning headed in the next 5 years or less?
TPL ASHIRU: Planning includes the past, present and the future. Having said this, Planning has a very bright future, if only we are “PROACTIVE” now! If planning is not lucrative, there won’t be duplication of our job. Imagine the money spent on traffic control what transportation planning can easily solve what about urban renewal, gentrification, urban regeneration, and smart cities. Planning is just wide
LOLADE: Should we say we are out of limelight? Should we say others (surveyors, architects, engineers etc) are the one doing what is rightfully ours? Sir, who do you consider our top competitor, and why?
TPL ASHIRU: Firstly, we are in the limelight and remain in the limelight; every profession has its own respective peak period. What you should be concerned about is being the best in what you are doing; you should be in your line of profession instead of competing with other profession over their jobs. If you can do this competently there won’t be need for other professionals doing jobs that are rightfully town planning jobs.
Therefore nobody is competing with our jobs. It is all about professionalism, an architect knows what to do, a surveyor knows what to do in the built environment. In planning profession you relate and interact with other professionals of the built environment, as an architect is needed, a surveyor is needed but when we fail to do our part the work will not be left undone.
LOLADE: I believe we have alot of invaluable assets that were not exploit till present in the field of Urban Planning. Sir, what are the biggest opportunities facing the profession right now that are left unexploited?
TPL ASHIRU: I call it I.T PLANNING, i.e Information Technology in planning and this will bring about SMART CITIES. GIS , DATA COLLECTION, DATA ANALYSIS, Planning has always been seen by public as development control and nothing more, whereas planning is more than development control it involves so many things.
LOLADE: NITP at the National level has leaders who are saddled with the responsibility of governing the institute, which you are part of, as Public Relations Officer. Sir, of all positions available, why PRO when you could be the president and do one need to have a strong background in journalism to be a good PRO?
TPL ASHIRU: Thank you very much. Well, it’s about passion and interest, while growing up i identified one of the problem of our profession to be about our image in the public which is always in negative i.e Town planning is known for the demolition of buildings, red marking e.t.c, rather than positive ones like planning of estates, campuses, religious camp grounds, motor park, recreation centers e.t.c. I choose to contest for the office of P.R.S because I believe in the power of communication and I see that as the gap between the leaders and followers. I believe in contesting for the post or offices where I can perform and make positive changes. Lastly you don’t need to have a background in journalism before perform as the PRS all you need to do is read, learn and consult with expert in the field and you are there.
LOLADE: Urban and Regional Planning Public Reputation or public image is expected to be the top priority of PRO in any Planning organization. Sir, as NITP National PRO, to what extent have you marketed Urban and Regional Planning to the populace?
TPL ASHIRU: As P.R.S of NITP, we have taken the issues of the institute publicity online, NITP is on all social media platform such as facebook, instagram, twitter, telegraph and whatsapp, we have created a very vibrant means of communication by having a forum for the P.R.S in the state chapters, we have trained the state chapters P.R.S twice on how to function in their office and improve their output. We have introduce so many items like News from the state, Do you know, Article sessions e.t.c . While in office we have released over twelve press releases that centers on national issues such as Flooding in Lagos and other parts of the country, Insecurity in the North East and the Scoot in Port Harcourt in Rivers States. We respond to issues within 24hrs, We have published the first NITP e- Newsletter, Online membership registration of old and new members is ongoing. We have been able to build a solid relationship with the Nigeria Media.
LOLADE: What challenges do you encounter as the Institute PRS?
TPL ASHIRU: We are able to manage our challenges and convert most to success story however we could do more if we have assess to more funds
LOLADE: What is the most gratifying part of your Public Relations position?
TPL ASHIRU: Simply fulfillment.
LOLADE: What is the unfavourable thing that has ever happened to you as PRS NITP? How did you handle the situation?
TPL ASHIRU: Having to announce three obituaries of members in a day, the problem was solved via timing, as I looked for a convenient time to convey the information.
LOLADE: It's no more news that most graduates are tired of this profession to the extent that most people writes ill about the profession on social media platforms. As the PRS of the institute, describe a time when you successfully persuaded a potential planner to change his/her way of thinking or behavior towards the profession.
At the South West Regional Conference of URPSAN
Through my articles on town planning issues
Through personal relationship
Messages, Phone calls etc
Through the Young Planners Forum
LOLADE: What are your proposed strategies for marketing URP to Nigerians?
It should not be not be an atlas carried on one persons shoulder; it should be our collective responsibility.
LOLADE: The last question for today's session with you sir, our dear daddy, father in the profession of planning, would be word of encouragement for potential planners (Student and Graduate). Any advice for the young lads wanting to practice planning?
No profession has automatic employment, promote your profession,promote yourself, and advertise yourself. If you are nothing, you cant be something. Arise and shine.
END......
Thank you (The interviewee and Readers) for taking time from your busy schedules to share with us your experience and knowledge. We would be honored to have you join us next time.
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