Abia State Governor, Dr Alex Otti has emphasised the need for Town Planners across the Country to adopt strategic inclusive and environmentally responsible approaches anchored on the highest standards of professionalism.
The Governor gave the charge at the formal investiture of Dr Veronica Okoye as the 3rd National Chairman of the Association of Women Town Planners in Nigeria (AWTPN) and the inauguration of the Association’s 2025/2026 Executive Committee, held at the Royal Damgrete Hotel, Umuahia.
Governor Otti, represented by the General Manager of the Umuahia Capital Development Authority, Mr Kingsley Agomoh, urged members of the Association to promote planning practices that are people-centred, resilient, forward-looking and inclusive.
He congratulated Dr Okoye for becoming a beacon of hope and inspiration to millions of young girls and women across Nigeria by excelling in a profession previously dominated by men and urged her to make virtue, integrity and professionalism her guiding principles.
The Governor called on the new leadership to prioritise the safety, accessibility and structural integrity of urban spaces as well as to work collaboratively with the State Government and relevant stakeholders in delivering the modern, well-planned cities envisioned by his administration.
In a goodwill message, the wife of the Governor, Mrs Priscilla Otti, represented by the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Women Affairs, Mrs Chinenye Nwaka, commended Dr Okoye on her achievement.
She described the honour as a befitting reward for many years of dedication to the ideals of the Town Planning Profession, and encouraged the Association to support the State’s ongoing advocacy against gender-based violence.
Chairman of the occasion, Mr Chinedu Iheanacho, while congratulating the new National Chairman, described her as a focused, dedicated professional and expressed confidence in her ability to take the Association to greater heights.
In his goodwill message, the National President of the Nigerian Institute of Town Planners (NITP), Dr Chime Ogbonna, highlighted the Association’s consistent role in amplifying the visibility of the profession and deepening public understanding of planning as a tool for national development.
He expressed optimism in the competence, creativity and commitment of the new leadership.
The pioneer Chairman of the Association, Mrs Bukola, congratulated Dr Okoye on her induction, noting that her emergence reflects a renewed vision for the body.
She added that her creativity, innovation and focused leadership style would bring about a remarkable transformation in the Association’s affairs.
Also speaking, the Anglican Bishop of Aba-Ngwa North Diocese, Rt Rev Dr Nathan Kanu, described Dr Okoye as a devoted Christian and a vessel in God’s vineyard.
He urged members of the Association to extend their planning expertise to their families, unions and personal lives, while commending Dr Okoye’s capacity to elevate the Association to enviable heights.
In her acceptance speech, Dr Veronica Okoye assured members that her leadership would be guided by a clear and actionable framework, anchored on the Creative Visionary Goals which will form the strategic pillars for strengthening programmes, deepening partnerships and delivering measurable outcomes for the Association and the communities it serves.
She also pledged to work with stakeholders to ensure the full implementation and domestication of the Nigerian Urban and Regional Planning Law of 1992 across all states of the federation, including the FCT.
Dr Okoye commended Governor Otti for the transformative vision already being implemented through the Aba Master Plan and his administration’s practical policies on urban development.
The investiture ceremony attended by stakeholders within and outside the Town Planning Profession, featured award presentations to deserving members as well as an investiture lecture delivered by Professor Joy Ogbazi on the theme “Elevating Leadership in Planning: Building a Future Where Women Shape Cities”.
