OGUN CELEBRATES 2025 WORLD HABITAT DAY
Ogun State government has reiterated it’s commitment towards promoting and actualizing it’s vision of sustainable urban development through promotion of safe and enduring building practices, ensuring orderliness and good living environment as well as preparation of urban and rural development plans.
The Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Tpl. Olatunji Odunlami disclosed this in his message to commemorate the 2025 World Habitat Day in Ogun State.
According him, the day, every first Monday of October has been set aside by the United Nations through the Un-Habitat to draw attention to the many challenges facing human settlements, especially the urban areas and find solutions to them.
Tpl. Odunlami stated that the yearly focus on human settlements was as a result of the projection that, by 2050, world population would reach 9.8 billion human beings, and nearly 70% of which would live in urban areas which according to him, could lead to inadequate and sub-standard housing, lack of jobs, high crime rate, inadequate waste management, inadequate physical and social infrastructure, facilities and services among others.
He said “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. The general objective of this yearly celebration 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. Every one of us has a part to play in these efforts, leaving no one behind.”
He advised the general public not to build houses without getting planning permit and building approval, desist from building structures including shanties on road setback and drainage channels, stop dumping refuse on the roads and drainages while encouraging all to plant trees and flowers in their environment.
Meanwhile, Tpl. Bamidele Badejo, a Professor of Geography and Regional Planning, Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago Iwoye, who featured on OGTV new dawn program in commemoration of the World habitat day, called on government to incorporate town planning professionals into Ministries, Departments and Agencies of government to help in planning as it’s relates to the environment.
Also speaking on the program, Mr. Fatai Adefala, Director, Ogun State Fire service, maintained that safety of lives and properties remained paramount to the government admonishing business and shop and car owners to always have fire extinguishers.
