The Oyo State Government has said it is actively working towards creating more resilient cities, focusing on sustainable urban development, and improving quality of life for residents.
The Commissioner for Lands, Housing and Urban development, Mr Williams Akin- Funmilayo, stated this at an international conference on a sustainable built environment, held in Ibadan, disclosing that the Governor Seyi Makinde-led administration is proud to be at the forefront of integrating resilience into urban planning.
Akin-Funmilayo explained that across Africa and especially in Nigeria, cities are under tremendous pressure, as urban populations are growing rapidly, often faster than the planning framework can handle.
He said by 2050, It is projected that over 70 percent of Nigeria’s population will live in urban areas, maintaining that resilience is not optional but a necessity, and Oyo State is not immune to the challenges from the ever- expanding Ibadan metropolitan area to the rural – urban migration.
The commissioner disclosed that pressures in towns like Ogbomoso, Oyo, Saki, Iseyin, and Ibarapa are witnessing increasing demand for housing services and land, noting that the challenges have presented the state government opportunities to innovate, reform and build more resilient cities.
Speaking on urban renewal policy framework, Akin-Funmilayo explained that in 2021, the state government, under the present administration, launched a renewed Urban Renewal Strategy aimed at making the cities in Oyo State more livable, inclusive and future–proof which includes: comprehensive upgrading of both major and inner-city roads and drainage systems; and revitalisation of public, facilities/infrastructure such as schools, health centers.
He explained that digitisation and GIS- Based land administration, one of most transformative initiatives, has been the digitisation of land records and planning approvals through the Oyo State Geographic Information System (OyoGIS)
The commissioner disclosed that the OyoGIS has mapped over 45 percent of Ibadan’s metropolitan land and the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development is now able to issue Certificates of Occupancy within weeks, not years, which enhances tenure security, reduces land disputes and encourages planned development.
He noted that following the devastating floods in Ibadan in 2011 and recent extreme weather events, the state government embedded climate adaptation into planning in the area of massive channelisation of rivers and streams across Ibadan, including the construction of drainages, culverts and bridges guided by international best practices through the Ibadan Urban Flood Management Project (IUFMP) in collaboration with the World Bank.
Akin- Funmilayo said since the inception of the present administration in the state, the Ministry has evolved a better and sustainable approach to provision of land for housing development through what he called “Land swap”.
He explained that under the arrangement, the government, through the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development provides land as equity, while the private sector (infrastructure partners) provide infrastructure such as roads, drainage, water, electricity.
The commissioner disclosed that the Ministry, in collaboration with the private sector, has embarked on provision of affordable housing schemes in other major towns in the state such as Oyo, Ogbomoso, Saki, and Iseyin, with Real-time property search and tracking (AWARI app).
He said: “Through this Journey, the Oyo State Government has learned a few key lessons to share: resilience is local, global framework are helpful, but urban planning must be grounded in local realities, social, environment and cultural.
“We have benefited immensely from collaboration with the private sector (developers, infrastructure partners, investors, consultants) other government agencies, international organisations and grassroots communities. We also hope to foster collaboration with the academia such as the University of Ibadan.
“I want to extend an open invitation to all of you researchers, students, and private sector partners to work with the Oyo State Government to co-create the resilient futures,” the commissioner concluded.
Olusola Akintonde