Ogun Moves To Renew Its Major Towns

In its bit to make a change in the Physical Land scape of Ogun  state to meet international standard, the State Government is set to revive old Towns by renewing them and giving them a facelift so as to make them more investments 

friendly. 

Commissioner for Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development, TPL. Olatunji Odunlami disclosed this while briefing Newsmen in his office in Abeokuta.

TPL. Odunlami pointed out that the need to ensure proper and regulated urban renewal in the State necessitated the unbundling of the Urban and Urban and Regional Planning Board to align with the core objectives and competencies of the ministry for full potentials.

He noted that the establishment was to further drive  socio-economic development across the state by creating Avenue for ease of doing business as well as boost internally generated revenues in the State.

Defining each Agencies role, Odunlami revealed that Ogun State Slum Regeneration Authority was established to focus on the old big towns that was abandoned in terms of proper planning and development saying that it’s part of the State Governor, Prince Dr.Dapo Abiodun agenda not to only focus on Cities but as well as to ensure that all old towns are properly planned and developed for aesthetic values and to attract investments.

Odunlami mentioned that the second Agency which is Ogun State Planning and Development Permit Authority was specifically  saddled with granting development permit and monitoring of development in the state so that the ranking of the state in the ease of doing business would be higher than it is presently.

He says the third Agency which was christened Ogun state Building Production Management Authority would be in charge of monitoring stages of buildings according to approved plan,  explaining the process of monitoring, he said the Agency would carry-out site certification, building research, monitor the building process, certify them by checking the building materials to ensure they are good qualities as well as discover distress and abandoned buildings which are susceptible to collapse to forestall unnecessary loss of lives and property.

The Commissioner pointed out that with the industrial drive of the administration in the State, it is expected that  there would be influx of people into the state and the standard for development of physical structures must be well spelt out to forestall crisis that could arise from haphazard development.

According to him, “We need to ensure that our buildings are built according to Structural Plans so that we don’t have building collapses in the state,  there is need to leverage from our knowledge what will happen most especially  development pressure areas very close to Lagos like Mowe/Ibafo, Ota, Agbado and others.” He said.

He however submitted that the Ministry of Urban and Physical Planning which was renamed Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development  is still a policy engine room of the entire Urban and Regional Plan in Ogun State.