FIC Report (Ekiti State) – The United Nations Habitat Technical Support to Ekiti State, Akintobi Olusanmi has announced that the organisation was collaborating with the Ekiti State Government to enhance urban development and housing, as well as link housing with tourism in the State.
Olusanmi who also served as Special Adviser to the Ekiti State Governor on Land Matters, disclosed this in Ado-Ekiti during an Institutional Capacity Support Workshop on Public-Private Participation in Urban Development organised by the Government in collaboration with UN-Habitat.
He said, “The urban development initiative, a collaboration between the Ekiti State Government and UN-Habitat, aims to develop a state-of-the-art urban observatory to monitor development progress, implement a landmass development project to address housing shortages, introduce a waste management system to mitigate environmental impact, and foster public-private partnerships to boost infrastructure development.”
Olusanmi reaffirmed the commitment of Governor Biodun Oyebanji’s administration to sustainable urban development, adding that the Government would collaborate with private organisations to achieve the desired outcomes.
The Special Adviser said “the Government is making significant strides in this sector, with 150 hectares of land, earmarked for development and partnerships with private organisations.
The construction of 1,000 houses for citizens is already underway.”
He, however, emphasised the need for a geographical map to guide sustainable development in the State, stating, that “without proper geography, sustainable development will remain elusive.”
He reiterated that Government was working on creating a map for Ekiti State to guide decision-making on school, factory and housing locations.
The Human Settlements Officer at UN-Habitat, Mrs Rosemary Odunbaku, commended the Oyebanji Administration for its deliberate efforts in urban and housing development.
Signed
AYENI OMONIYI
(C l A)
