•As govt intensifies urban renewal projects

In furtherance of its commitment towards making Ondo State an event destination and tourism hub in Nigeria, the state government has built a state-of-the-art, all-purpose conference centre which is expected to be formally commissioned between May and June this year. The sprawling edifice which cost is put at whopping N10 billion, is one of the numerous novel projects initiated by the state government to boost Ondo’s infrastructure development.

The new international events centre, Akure

Built beside The Dome on a 36.05 hectares parcel of land, the massive International Event Centre is strategically located along Igbatoro Road, adjacent the Akure Shopping Mall.

Finishing touches

Although it has not been formally commissioned, Centre is already hosting events. For instance, the Nigerian Society of Engineers, NSE held its 2015 Engineering Assembly at the centre.

The State Commissioner for Information, Mr. Kayode Akinmade who briefed newsmen in Akure, explained that the multi-billion Naira Centre which is presently undergoing finishing touches preparatory to its formal commissioning, would be the best of its kind in the country. Akinmade said the idea behind the project and others such as The Dome, golf course and five-star hotel is to make the state an events destination.

Akinmade who conducted newsmen round the centre said, “We want to harness the tourism potentials of the state. We have tourism corridors that we want to develop in the state. For instance, we have developed eight-hole golf course, there are plans to build a 5-star hotel in place of Owena Hotel and The Dome is being completed now”.

“The International Event Centre will also serve as a boost to the socio-economic well-being of Ondo State, as the place will function alongside the Akure Shopping Mall adjacent to the Centre, coupled with the Idanre Hills Tourists Centre and the State Golf Course at Atosin in Idanre Local Government Area of the state”, he said.

Project features: The project’s Coordinator, Pastor Ayo Babalola who is the Director, Planning, Research and Statistics in the Ondo State Ministry of Housing & Urban Development, said the project has attained a 90 percent completion level.
Babalola explained that siting both the Dome and the International Events Centre within the same complex would enable the two accommodate different types of functions organised by people and organisations from across the country and abroad.

The building, he said, is constructed with steel and glass which makes it echo-proof and fire resistant. It is fitted with multi media equipment with large screens in all the nooks and crannies.

The Project Coordinator said the facility will create job opportunities for hundreds of people in view of its multipurpose nature.

Vanguard Homes & Property learnt that there are different categories of event halls in the Centre. While some have a sitting capacity of over 2,000 sitting capacity, the smallest hall has a sitting capacity of 450 persons.

Babalola further disclosed that about 40 toilet facilities have been provided to conveniently take care of the large number of visitors expected at the centre. Other prominent features of the Centre is a dancing fountain, parking lot for over 2000 vehicles and under ground drainage channels.

Speaking on maintenance, he explained that a facility management firm will be appointed to ensure routine maintenance of the complex.

The International Event Centre which occupies a large space of land along the Ondo State House of Assembly at Alagbaka, Akure, has an administrative block, multipurpose hall for varieties of events, an information unit and a helicopter landing space.

Urban renewal: Highlighting the urban renewal initiative embarked upon by the government, the Commissioner for Works, Mr. Gboye Adegbenro, an engineer, said the massive reconstruction and beautification of the Oyemekun/Oba Adesida Road and the building of bus stops and commuters’ shelters have given the state capital a befitting status. The government provided the “Caring Heart Neighbourhood Markets” for the traders who were affected by the reconstruction.

Dualised carriageway

Adegbenro who disclosed that the present administration inherited just one dualised carriageway in the state, said the Mimiko-led administration has dualised seven roads within Akure and outside the state capital thereby bringing the total number of dual carriageways in the state to eight. The dual carriageways in Ondo town, Akure and Ilaje area of the state. Those in Ilaje include Igbokoda-Ayetoro Road, Phase III (Ugbonla-Erunna Stretch) and the Alape/Akintubuwa Junction-Araromi Olokola, Phase I, all of which cover about 43 kilometers.

Lamenting traffic jam presently being experienced on Alagbaka Road due to the location of Shoprite there, the Commissioner said that there are plans by the government to further expand roads around the Mall to enable free flow of traffic on the roads.

He said his ministry has also commenced massive rehabilitation of failed portions of roads across the state capital through OSARMCO, an agency of the ministry. These roads include Okelisa street, Oke Opa road, rehabilitation of some roads in GRA, Ajanuwa street, among others.

The Commissioner who assured that all ongoing road projects embarked upon by the present administration will be completed it leaves office early next year, disclosed that the has no plans to embark on new road projects.