Lekan Yusuf, Ibadan.
The OAB Foundation, in collaboration with the Dosu Babatunde Foundation, has commenced the 2026 Dosu Babatunde Week in Ibadan to celebrate the enduring legacy of late Chief James Oladosu Babatunde, FNITP, RTP, widely honoured for his contributions to physical planning, planning education and professional practice in Nigeria.
The week-long programme, themed “Name and Place: Giving Planning a Home,” runs from October 27 to November 1, 2026, featuring activities designed to promote professional excellence, sustainable urban development and the preservation of the late planner’s legacy.
At a press briefing held at Dapo Aderogba Hall, NUJ Millennium Press Centre, Iyaganku GRA, Ibadan, the foundations outlined the activities lined up for the week and reiterated their commitment to preserving the late planner’s legacy and advancing physical planning education and sustainable urban development.
As part of the activities, the foundations held the NITP-Oyo Construction Assembly on Wednesday at the OYO NITP House, Quarter 704, Iyaganku GRA, Ibadan, a facility donated by the OAB Foundation.
Speaking at the ceremony, Chairman of the OAB Foundation, Dr. Olajide Abiodun Babatunde, delivered a keynote address titled “Name and Place,” announcing plans to fully equip and furnish the NITP Oyo House and donate an 18-seater Toyota bus to the Nigerian Institute of Town Planners (NITP), Oyo State Chapter.
He also advocated the establishment of a Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development, the Oyo State Geographic Information Service and the Oyo State Building Control Agency to strengthen planning administration and development control in the state.
Dr. Babatunde explained that the Dosu Babatunde Centre (DBC) was originally conceived to accommodate both the NITP Oyo House and the centre, with separate wings for the two institutions. Following the relocation of the NITP Oyo House to Iyaganku GRA, the DBC was allocated to the Department of Urban and Regional Planning, The Polytechnic, Ibadan, to support planning education.
He recalled his father’s commitment to professional development and his determination to ensure that the NITP Oyo Chapter had a befitting home, noting that the late Chief Babatunde had made provision for the project and remained concerned about its completion even during his final illness.
Quoting his father’s philosophy of service, Dr. Babatunde said: “When the dreams you are dreaming come true, turn back around to where you started and remember to help the next person in line.”
A pioneer whose vision helped shape Ibadan
A tribute delivered during the week’s activities described Chief Babatunde as a pioneering physical planner whose professional career spanned public service, private consultancy, planning education and civic engagement.
After studying at Eden Technical College, he proceeded to Birmingham, where he completed his professional training in physical planning. Upon returning to Nigeria, he served in the public sector and eventually became the chief executive of the then Ibadan Metropolitan Planning Authority, which was responsible for physical planning and development control across the metropolitan area.
Following his retirement in January 1981, he established a planning consultancy, identified in the tribute as M. Baluski Planning Consortium, through which he undertook development-planning assignments in different parts of Nigeria.
His professional portfolio reportedly included comprehensive development plans, the master plan for Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, and the Outline Physical Development Plan for Ibadan, which provided a framework for land acquisition and development proposals across the metropolitan area.
He was also credited with contributing to the conceptualisation of the Ibadan Circular Road, conceived as a development corridor to improve connectivity, support decentralisation and integrate surrounding communities with the expanding city.
The tribute noted that successive administrations had continued to pursue aspects of the circular road project, reflecting the lasting relevance of the vision for Ibadan’s growth.
A planner committed to service and integrity
Beyond his formal professional responsibilities, Chief Babatunde was remembered for offering his expertise to the development of Ibadan without always seeking financial reward.
According to the tribute, he helped identify the site for the Olubadan Palace and prepared its layout without charge. He was also credited with designing the cemetery at St. Peter’s Church, where he was later buried.
His involvement in civic organisations was another aspect of his legacy. The speaker recalled that he belonged to 26 clubs and societies in Ibadan and participated in initiatives aimed at advancing the city’s development.
He was also said to have participated in census-related activities because he believed reliable population figures would strengthen Ibadan’s case for statehood. In addition, he produced pocket maps covering the city’s 11 local government areas to support students and others interested in planning.
The tribute further highlighted his commitment to professional boundaries and ethical conduct, recalling an occasion when he reportedly declined a Government House fencing contract offered by a military administrator, explaining that his profession was physical planning rather than building construction.
His philosophy, the speaker noted, placed greater value on a good professional name than on the pursuit of wealth at all costs.
He taught that prosperity should be achieved honestly and that integrity meant refusing to engage in wrongdoing even when the opportunity existed.
The tribute also stressed the importance of understanding the relationship between people, geography, water bodies, hills, infrastructure and other features that determine how cities develop.
Annual lecture, urban renewal projects to follow
The Dosu Babatunde Week will continue on Thursday, October 29, with the 8th Dosu Babatunde Annual Lecture, to be delivered by Prof. Kingston Nyamapfene, focusing on planning education and the future of Nigerian cities.
On Friday, October 30, the OAB Foundation is scheduled to conduct the groundbreaking and foundation-laying ceremony for Capital Mall at Onireke, Ibadan, a proposed urban renewal and retail development project intended to demonstrate sustainable and compliant development.
The commissioning of Lagelu House at the Club House of Lagelu Sixteen, Mokola Hill, Ibadan, is scheduled for Saturday, October 31, while a thanksgiving service will hold on Sunday, November 1, at the Chapel of St. Joseph the Worker, Ibadan.
The week will also conclude with The Weekend Ibadan 2026, a private family event hosted by the OAB Foundation.
The foundations have invited members of the NITP, physical planners, professionals, the media and the general public to participate in the activities celebrating a man whose work and values continue to inspire discussions about planning education, professional integrity and the sustainable development of Nigerian cities.
