Osun to commence N100m structure plan for nine cities
The Osun Structure Plans Project, which kicked off in July last year, seeks to develop and adopt Structure Plans that will guide the growth, development and management of the participating cities over the next 20 years. The participating cities, grouped into three clusters of three cities each are: Osogbo, Ikirun, Ila Orangun (Cluster 1), Ilesha. […]
The Osun Structure Plans Project, which kicked off in July last year, seeks to develop and adopt Structure Plans that will guide the growth, development and management of the participating cities over the next 20 years.
The participating cities, grouped into three clusters of three cities each are: Osogbo, Ikirun, Ila Orangun (Cluster 1), Ilesha. Ile Ife, Ede (Cluster 2) and Iwo, Ejgbo and Ikire (Cluster 3).
Structure Plans are planning instruments that will guiding the growth of these towns for the next 20 years and involves use of the Rapid Urban Sector Profiling for Suastainability (RUSPS) methodology, which establishes a sustainable, participatory, long-term framework for the orderly physical, economic and social development of the city.
The RUSPS methodology, which is based on ‘Guidelines for Sustainable Urban Development’ designed by the European Commission and UN-Habitat, seeks to reduce urban poverty through policy development and assessment of needs and responses for urban institutions.
“One of the major challenges facing urban centres is a lack of information and accurate statistics that could be used when planning development. This is one of the issues we want to address. The successful implementation of the process would help town planners prioritize their needs and put their resources into the places they ought to be,” said Dr. Alioune Badiane, Director, Projects Office at the signing of the Memorandum of Agreement in Osogbo.
According to the State Commissioner for Lands, Physical Planning and Urban Development, Mr. Muyiwa Ige, the Structure Plans Project is a follow up to an Urban Renewal Scheme involvinig te upgrading of a two-kilometre radius from the city centre in each of the nine cities.
“We are determined to transform our cities into functional settlements that will match our expectations as a state of excellence,” Mr Ige said.
The Habitat Programme Manager for Nigeria, Mallam Kabir Yari, stressing the importance of the scheme, noted that “For planning to flourish and more importantly stem the growing slum formation and poverty, there is a need for a more fundamental rethinking of city planning and development approaches and actions to make them inclusive, participatory and one to be undertaken at the local level.”