Ondo, UN Agency Partner On Urban Dev

The Ondo State Governor Dr  Olusegun Mimiko, has signed a N320 million ($2million) partnership agreement with the United Nations Human Settlement Programme (UN-Habitat) to deepen some of the existing initiatives of his administration in the areas of human settlements and development.

The agreement, according to a statement made available on Friday, would enable the state to release money to UN-Habitat over a period of three years and assist in mobilising and engaging new partners for the execution of identified projects under the African Urban Agenda among others.

The agreement was signed at the just concluded 24th Governing Council meeting of UN-Habitat held in Nairobi, Kenya between April 15 and 19.

The statement said in the last four years, the state government had mainstreamed the issue of human settlement through  his initiatives and the urban renewal projects that had delivered more than 640 community-chosen projects in rural communities.

Mimiko was quoted to have said, “How else can we deepen our commitment and walk our talk than to engage and collaborate with our international development partners in the quest to achieve our collective vision and realise our noble goals?

“The collaboration between UN-Habitat and Ondo State Government is to ensure that together, we are able to transform our shared vision in the improvement of the quality of life and sustainable development to tangible and concrete activities that will add value to the people.”

He also said that in the next three years, the state government through the agreement would further commit itself to an aggressive drive for job creation for the youth through innovative and sustainable programmes that were inclusive and which would engender improved livelihood.

The agreement is expected to increase employment and economic opportunities, and enhance the development of financing capacity of local governments by using strategic planning, local economic development and economic empowerment approaches.

It will also enhance local economy planning to promote the public, private, academic and civil society sectors and establish partnerships as well as collaboratively find local solutions to common economic development challenges.