Makinde’s administration charts path to resilient cities in Oyo

By Adejayan Gbenga

The Oyo State Government on Thursday reaffirmed its commitment to sustainable urban development and improving the quality of life for residents.

Commissioner for Lands, Housing and Urban Development, Mr. Williams Akin-Funmilayo, stated this at an international conference on a sustainable built environment held at the Faculty of Environmental Design and Management, University of Ibadan. He noted that by 2050, over 70% of Nigeria’s population is projected to live in urban areas, with urban populations growing rapidly.

He emphasized that resilience is not optional but a necessity, as Oyo State is not immune to challenges stemming from the rapidly expanding Ibadan metropolitan area and rural-urban migration.

Akin-Funmilayo observed that towns like Ogbomoso, Oyo, Saki, Iseyin, and Ibarapa are facing increasing demand for housing services and land. However, he said these challenges have also presented opportunities for the state to innovate, reform, and build more resilient cities.

Highlighting one of the state’s most transformative initiatives, he spoke about the digitization of land records and planning approvals through the Oyo State Geographic Information System (OYOGIS). According to him, OYOGIS has mapped over 45% of Ibadan’s metropolitan land, enabling the Ministry to issue Certificates of Occupancy within weeks, rather than years. This, he said, enhances tenure security, reduces land disputes, and promotes planned development.

He also pointed to the integration of climate adaptation into planning, especially in the wake of the devastating 2011 Ibadan floods and recent extreme weather events. This includes massive channelization of rivers and streams, as well as the construction of drainages, culverts, and bridges through the Ibadan Urban Flood Management Project (IUFMP) in partnership with the World Bank.

Akin-Funmilayo noted that under Governor Seyi Makinde’s administration, the Ministry has adopted a more sustainable approach to land provision for housing development through a “land swap” initiative. Under this arrangement, the government provides land as equity while private sector partners provide infrastructure such as roads, drainage, water, and electricity.

He added that the Ministry, in collaboration with the private sector, has launched affordable housing schemes in major towns such as Oyo, Ogbomoso, Saki, and Iseyin, supported by real-time property search and tracking through the AWARI app.