Osun to join UN Habitat to develop structure plans in nine selected cities.

Osun State government has developed structure plans in collaboration with UN Habitat in nine selected cities in the state to indicate direction of development for the cities over a plan period to achieve orderly growth and coordinated physical development.

Osun State Governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola stated this during the official handling over of the report of structure plan for nine selected cities at the state Secretariat, Abere.

Aregbesola who was represented by his deputy, Mrs Titi-Laoye Tomori said the step became imperative to address the problem of urbanization with its attendant effects of improper waste disposal unplanned development, urban sprawl and slums as well as inadequate infrastructural facilities.

The governor noted that the structure plan programme was initiated to complement urban renewal initiative which was aimed at ridding the cities of shanties and haphazard development.

He expressed optimism that the land use proposal policy and legislative reform contained in the structure plan would assist the state to realize a sustainable development economic and social growth.

Aregbesola hinted that his administration would continue to design programmes and policies that would enhance health living among citizenry as well as open window for economic potential in the state.

Speaking, the UN Habitat Programme Manager, Mallam Kabir Yari who said Osun State was the only state in the country that has involved nine cities in a single Project said the cities were divided into three clusters to ensure effective implementation of the structure plan.

Mallam Yari, who advocated legal backing for the structure plan to ensure effective implementation framework noted that, it would facilitate the harnessing of all required resources to attain objectives of the plan for economic and industrial growth in the state.

Mallam Yari, said further that, the policies contained in the structure plan vested the implementation of the plan in the hand of the state and local government as stakeholders in physical planning sector, saying the task of achieving the structure plan within twenty years will be joint responsibility of all the stakeholders.

In his welcome address, the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Environment Sanitation and Physical Planning, Architect Wale Ojo who said the present administration in the state is fully committed to urban renewal programme with emphasis on nine cities which include Osogbo, Ilesa, Ile-Ife, Ikirun, Ila-Orangun, Ede, Ikire and Iwo as well as Ejigbo, hinted that the programme as changed the face of the cities and open the area for economic advancement.

Architect Ojo maintained that the urban renewal covered a radius of one kilometre from the palace of the benefiting cities except Osogbo which covered two kilometre radius saying the structure plan would cover twenty five kilometres radius.

He lauded the state government for it resolve to beautify the state and make it more attractive to both local and foreign investors with a view to enhancing economic potential of the state especially at this period when the state was facing serious economic challenge.

In a remark, the Director of Town Planning in the state, Mr. Akintunde Oladejo explained that the structure plan was aimed at placing the state in the world map as one of the organized states in the globe.