Through the provision of mass housing projects, the Kayode Fayemi administration intends to not only address the accommodation problem in the state but also provide its residents world class infrastructure
Since its creation in 1996, Ekiti State’s population, especially that of Ado Ekiti, in terms of visitors to the town and those who live and work there, has increased over time. But this increase, over the years, wasn’t met with a corresponding rise in the number of buildings in the state by successive administrations, thus leaving a gap that has been difficult to ignore. So serious is the acute accommodation problem in Ado Ekiti that, according to Akeju, even Fayemi’s aides, in the early part of the administration’s life, found it difficult accessing quality housing. But all that will soon be a thing of the past as the first phase of the housing project is due to be delivered this June through a public-private partnership arrangement. Under the arrangement, the government will provide the road infrastructure and amenities such as electricity and water while the private companies will concentrate on developing the structures and accompanying amenities. Akeju said that the state government decided to partner with the private sector because it was not in a position to shoulder the cost all alone in view of other competing needs.
The houses will come in different units and are meant to cater for all classes of people, rich or poor. Unlike the situations in many states where housing projects are often concentrated in major cities, Akeju revealed that the housing estates will be sited in different towns within the state, from Ado Ekiti to Ikere, Ikole to Otun. This, he said, will not only ensure balance in the spread of infrastructure in the state, in line with the style of the Fayemi administration, but will enable the indigenes access quality housing wherever they desire. Such spread of the estates will no doubt delight indigenes of the state particularly those in the Diaspora.
Said Akeju: “Our population is increasing. Seventy-five per cent of all Ekiti abroad want a house at home. They are tired of sending money to relatives to build; it just doesn’t work out. Not only that, they want to live in environments that are pleasant.” Apart from its own housing project, the state government is also taking advantage of a housing scheme initiated by the Federal Ministry of Education for teachers in the state to further build more houses for them as part of its commitment to improve the welfare of teachers in the state. The Federal Government Teachers’ Housing Project, like the state’s housing scheme, is currently under construction. A source at the site in Otun said in early April during the magazine’s fact-finding mission to the state that although the project is originally a federal government initiative, the Ekiti State government decided to partner with it to deliver more houses to the state teachers. The Otun site earmarked for the project covers about 31 hectares. Under the initial plan, 250 buildings are billed to be built in the first phase but this will now be raised to 500 to cater for the interest of the state government.
Akeju believes that by the time the houses are delivered, beginning with the first phase in June 2014, Ekiti will become one of Nigeria’s mega cities where housing will no longer be a problem. But that will also require the cooperation of the indigenes as getting to procure land for such developmental efforts hasn’t been easy. In a country where ownership of ancestral land is mainly by inheritance, some family members still don’t see the need to give up their family lands for whatever good cause, even though they normally get compensated by government. But, as pointed out by Akeju, development comes with costs. “Fifteen years ago, this place (Ekiti Home Agenda office) did not exist, it belonged to three, four families. If the families had refused to cooperate with government and give up their land, we won’t have this development. So, it is something we must work out, and we must be receptive to the yearnings of these people. They are our people and the development is for our people, so there’s no other way. Any issues that come up, we have ways of working it out,” he assured.