Abeokuta – The Ogun State Government has restated its dedication to fostering sustainable urban development, emphasizing safe building practices, orderly environments, and comprehensive development planning.
The commitment was underscored by the Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Tpl. Olatunji Odunlami, in a message marking the 2025 World Habitat Day.
The Commissioner explained that the annual event, observed every first Monday of October by the United Nations, aims to spotlight the challenges confronting human settlements and proffer solutions.
Highlighting the urgency, Tpl. Odunlami cited projections that nearly 70% of the world’s projected 9.8 billion population will live in urban areas by 2050. This rapid growth, he warned, could lead to substandard housing, unemployment, high crime rates, and inadequate infrastructure.
“This year’s theme, ‘Urban Crisis Response,’ is a continuation of the dialogue, fact-finding, and solution-proffering efforts of the UN-Habitat which started in 1986,” Odunlami stated.
“The general objective… is to continue to remind us that we are individually and collectively responsible for the urban crisis and we are therefore also individually and collectively responsible for finding the solutions.”
The Commissioner issued a public advisory, urging residents to obtain necessary planning permits and building approvals before construction. He also called on the public to desist from erecting structures on road setbacks and drainage channels, avoid dumping refuse on roads and drains, and to plant trees and flowers to improve the environment.
In a related event on OGTV’s New Dawn program, a Professor of Geography and Regional Planning from Olabisi Onabanjo University, Tpl. Bamidele Badejo, advocated for the inclusion of town planning professionals in various government Ministries, Departments, and Agencies to enhance environmental planning.
Also speaking on the program, Mr. Fatai Adefala, Director of the Ogun State Fire Service, emphasized the government’s priority on the safety of lives and properties. He admonished business owners and motorists to equip their premises and vehicles with fire extinguishers as a critical safety measure.
