By Henry Umoru
ABUJA — The Nigerian Senate has passed the second reading of a bill to establish the Chartered Institute of Planning of Nigeria (CIPN).
Following the second reading, the bill was referred to the Senate Committees on Planning, Establishment and Public Service, and Finance for further legislative action, with a directive to report back within four weeks.
The bill was sponsored by Senator Ede Dafinone (APC–Delta Central), who presented the general principles, emphasizing that the legislation seeks to address one of Nigeria’s most persistent structural weaknesses: an inadequate, inconsistent, and poorly coordinated planning culture.
“For decades, Nigeria has suffered from frequent policy reversals, abandoned projects, wasteful spending, and development frameworks that fail to survive political transitions,” Dafinone said. “Whether we look at Vision 2010, Vision 2020, the National Integrated Infrastructure Master Plan, or the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP), the pattern has been the same—good intentions that falter due to the absence of a credible, professional, and institutionalized planning architecture.”
According to the lawmaker, the CIPN would provide a unified framework for economic, infrastructure, environmental, social, corporate, and strategic planning by professionalizing planning. “We aim to ensure that development in Nigeria is no longer driven by guesswork, political expediency, or fragmented institutional efforts,” he added.
Dafinone noted that the absence of a national planning institute has led to costly inefficiencies, including duplicated projects across ministries, short-term political interference, and billions of naira lost to misalignment, cost overruns, and abandoned infrastructure.
“The CIPN offers a systemic remedy by building a corps of certified planners, enforcing ethical professional standards, and ensuring methodological consistency across federal, state, and local governments,” he said.
The bill also outlines collaboration with key institutions such as INEC, local government service commissions, the National Universities Commission (NUC), and private-sector organizations to enhance evidence-based planning, forecasting capacity, and alignment with global best practices.
The legislation received backing from Senate Deputy Leader Lola Ashiru, Senator Adamu Aliero (APC, Kebbi Central), and Senator Yahaya Abdullahi (APC, Kebbi North).
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