FCT DEPARTMENT OF DEVELOPMENT CONTROL CONSIDERS 90-DAY TIMELINE FOR BUILDING PLAN APPROVAL

The era of waiting for extended periods, sometimes even years, to obtain building plan approvals may be coming to an end as the FCT Administration takes steps to grant such approvals within 90 days.

During a workshop organized to train the staff of the Department of Development Control on Standard Operating Procedures (SOP), Muktar Galadima, the Director of the department, indicated that Nigeria’s Urban and Regional Planning laws state that building plan approvals should be given to applicants within a three-month period.

Galadima emphasized that if approvals were not granted within this timeframe without rejection, it would be considered as consent, acceptance, and approval. In other words, applicants could commence development as applied because “silence is approval.”

Galadima encouraged the workshop participants to listen attentively to the resource persons and make the most of the training, as it directly related to their responsibilities.

Dr. Jumai Ahmadu, the Director of the Department of Reform Coordination and Service Improvement, spoke as a special guest at the workshop and revealed that the FCT Administration would soon implement a performance management system. This system would ensure that work is conducted online and hold staff accountable for their assigned tasks.

Ahmadu further explained that there would no longer be a system like APER, where people simply fill out a form and have it signed. Instead, the FCT Administration intends to have digital civil servants.

She also highlighted several key elements for efficient and improved service delivery, including improved staff welfare and a healthy and conducive working environment. According to Ahmadu, having the necessary tools and a suitable workspace is crucial for optimal performance.

Dr. Mohammed Zayyanu, an Assistant Director responsible for Vetting in the Department of Development Control and a resource person at the workshop, outlined several advantages of the SOP. These benefits include error elimination, increased productivity, maintaining a chain of order, ensuring operational consistency, efficiency, time savings, and the digitization of processes to enhance overall productivity.