Ekiti partners ARCON in urban renewal projects

Ekiti State Government is set to engage more architects and partner with the Architects Registration Council of Nigeria (ARCON), to ensure its Urban Renewal Projects meet international standard.

Governor Kayode Fayemi stated this when he received a delegation of ARCON, led by its National President, Sir Dipo Ajayi in Ado-Ekiti yesterday.

Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Yinka Oyebode, stated that the state would require the technical expertise of the umbrella body of architects in its bid to build a world-class agriculture processing zone and the Smart City, two major projects designed to drive industrialisation in the state.

The governor, who disclosed his administration’s plans to deploy Geographic Information Science (GIS) technology for accurate enumeration of properties in the state, said the state was also reviving its farm settlements to boost agribusiness, food security, and industrial development of the state.

He said the administration’s next focus was the revitalisation of the Orin Farm Settlement, having successfully revived the Ikun Dairy farm, in a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) with Promasidor, one of the leading names in diary product business.

“We are definitely going to increase the use of architects in our urban renewal project. We need architects and experts in the design of the Agriculture Processing Zone and the Knowledge Zone – our Smart City – projects.

“We need the knowledge, expertise, and support of architects and ARCON leadership in making these projects world-class.

Earlier in his presentation, the president, who lauded the development strides of the Fayemi-led administration, urged the governor to ensure that the state took advantage of the services of certified architects and professional support of the umbrella body.

ARCON, according to Ajayi, would make its expertise available to the state government in a partnership that would accelerate infrastructure development in the state.

He also said the body was building an N500 million hostel in Oye Ekiti and thanked the governor for the appointment of professional architects who are manning very important positions in government.