We will continue to enhance environmental sustainability— Makinde

…commissions NEWMAP office building and Erosion control equipment 

The Governor of Oyo State, ‘Seyi Makinde’ has restated its commitment towards enhancing environmental sustainability by giving sanitation and environmental cleanliness a high priority as a way of life and to restore degraded lands and reduce long-term erosion vulnerability in targeted areas. 

This was said by Makinde on Friday at the commissioning of the NEWMAP office building and the erosion control equipment at the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, Secretariat, Ibadan, while he was being represented by his deputy, Barrister Abdul-raheem Adebayo Lawal. 

The commissioning, which took place at the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, aims to help the 23 participating states in Nigeria, including Oyo, maintain their watersheds and lessen their erosion susceptibility.

While performing the exercise, the deputy governor, Barrister Abdul-raheem Adebayo Lawal restated the commitment of this administration to enhance environmental sustainability more importantly now that the state is witnessing an improved waste management, flooding and erosion control. 

Lawal disclosed that the state government had approved the release of N500 million in January 2020 as a counterpart fund for the world bank supported in the state, adding that the action will open doors for the state to realize its goal of becoming an environmentally friendly state and preferred investment destination in Nigeria. 

He continued by saying that the Makinde-led administration has given sanitation and environmental cleanliness a high priority as a way of life and that the new architecture being implemented will be more environmentally friendly, productive, and goal-oriented.

He advised the recipients to properly utilize the tools provided by the Ministry of Environmental and Natural Resources, such as the tricycles, ICT center, and other achievements. 

The Oyo State Nigeria Erosion and Watershed Management Project Initiative focuses on erosion and land degradation with its devastating impacts on lives and livelihood in order to lessen environmental and economic devastation in the state, according to earlier remarks made by the commissioner for environment and natural resources, Abiodun Oni. 

He revealed that the project activities were dispersed across nine (9) local government areas, including Atiba, Ibadan South-West, Egbeda, Ibarapa East, Iseyin, Saki West, Ogbomoso North, Oluyole, and Ona Ara Local Government. These are located in the three senatorial zones of Oyo State.

He emphasized that the intervention has been producing significant results, as seen by the improvement of the socioeconomic and fundamental means of subsistence in benefited communities, while listing some of the projects previously commissioned by the Ministry.

Top government officials who attended the event were, Secretary to the State Government Olubamiwo Adeosun, Head of Ssrvice Alhaja Ololade Agboola, Commissioner for Energy Seun Asamu, Chairman BCOS Dotun Oyelade, Double TT, a close ally of Makinde.