According to Akintobi Olusanmi, the UN Habitat Technical Support to Ekiti State, the agency is working with the Ekiti State Government to improve housing and urban development as well as connect housing and tourism in the state.
At an institutional capacity support workshop on public-private participation in urban development held in Ado-Ekiti on Monday, Olusanmi—who also holds the position of Special Adviser on Land Matters to the Governor of Ekiti State—spoke.
The workshop was arranged by the government in association with UN-Habitat.
He stated that, “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.”
The Ekiti government has started a public-private partnership initiative to “harness private sector expertise and resources to enhance urban development and housing, and link housing with tourism in the state,” according to Olusanmi, who emphasised the importance of private sector involvement in the state’s urbanisation and housing development drive.
He restated the administration of Governor Biodun Oyebanji’s dedication to sustainable urban development and said that in order to accomplish the intended results, the government would work with private groups.
The UN-Habitat Human Settlements Officer, Mrs. Rosemary Odunbaku, praised the Oyebanji administration’s concerted efforts to create housing and urban areas.
“The population of Sub-Saharan Africa will double by 2030, which is just six years from now,” she said, highlighting the urgency with which stakeholders must address housing requirements.
“If we don’t act now, the situation could become critical. There is growing pressure on governments for sustainable development, where we plan for today without compromising tomorrow,” she ended.
Dr. Gboyega Oloniyo, the governor’s special adviser on housing and mortgage development, expressed hope for the UN’s collaboration with the Ekiti State government on the urbanisation agenda.
“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.”
But he also underlined the importance of having a geographic plan to direct sustainable development in the state, saying that “sustainable development will remain elusive without proper geography.” In order to help Ekiti State make decisions about where to locate factories, schools, and homes, we are mapping the area.
“We need to map the land to provide adequate space for both humans and animals,” stated Prof. James Olaleye, Special Adviser to the Governor on Land, eGIS, and Survey, in order to emphasise the significance of effective planning in land management. The government is attempting to improve planning, building on the work done by the previous administration.
