By  Yinka Kolawole
The Ogun State government has called for increased private sector participation in the development of affordable housing in the state to ensure provision of decent shelter for people resident in the state.

State commissioner for Housing, Mrs. Jokotade Odebunmi, made the call, in Abeokuta, at the signing ceremony of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the state government and a private property development firm, PK Properties Nigeria Limited, for the provision of  80 housing units of three categories at the Media Garden Estate in the state capital at an estimated cost of N500 million.

“We cannot do it alone. That is why we have embraced the Private-Public Partnership in the provision of housing in Ogun State. The private sector must be part of investment activities in partnership with the government. We believe that if we can provide a secured and serene environment for our people, it will surely boost the economic activities in our state,” she stated.

Odebunmi acknowledged the intervention of private developers in the ongoing construction of housing units at the Ibara GRA Renewal Scheme. She declared that the burden of undertaking housing projects for the residents of the state had become tasking, and called on the developer not to betray the trust reposed in the firm by the state government through the deal.

The estate which consists of 30 two-bedroom detached bungalows; 20 three-bedroom semi-detached bungalows; and 30 four-bedroom detached bungalows, is expected to be completed by May 2011.