Makinde heads Ibadan Urban Flood Project

• Says we must Improve capacity to manage flood risk

Oyo State Governor, Engineer Seyi Makinde on Monday inaugurated the steering Committee of the Ibadan Urban Flood Management Project, the World Bank Project aimed at tackling the flood risk propensity of Ibadan, the Oyo State Capital.

The Governor, while giving a brief remark at the inauguration of the Steering Committee said that each of the members of the committee were expected to bring their wealth of experience to bear on the project to help in realizing the sole aim of effectively managing flood risk in Ibadan and the entire Oyo State.

He stated that the Steering Committee is the highest policy-making body of the Ibadan Urban Flood Management Project(IUFMP), adding that the Commissioner of Finance chairs the Committee in his absence.

Besides Governor Makinde, who chairs the Committee, other members include the Commissioner for Finance, who chairs the committee in the absence of the Governor; the Commissioner for Environment and Natural Resources; Public Works, Infrastructure and Transport; Lands, Housing and Urban Development, Director General Oyo State Bureau of Public Procurement; Chairman, Oyo State Road Maintenance Agency; permanent Secretaries Ministries of Environment, Lands and Housing and Public Works and Infrastructure as well as the Project Coordinator of Ibadan Urban Flood Management Project(IUFMP).

Project Coordinator of IUFMP, Mr. Dayo Ayorinde, who threw more light on the project inauguration after the meeting said that the inauguration of the Steering Committee was coming ahead of the mid-term review of the project expected later in the week.

He also said that the inauguration of the Steering Committee would boost the rating of the project by International Partners.

“The inauguration is coming on the heels of the Mid-term review of the Ibadan Urban Flood Management Project.

“The Mid-term review would afford the government the opportunity to add or subtract from provisions of the project. It is a project of eight years and we have done four years, so it’s the right time to inaugurate the steering committee and review the entire project.

“Right now, the state government is trying to review the project and include solid waste management in the project,” he said.