Aiyedatiwa Moves to Tackle Infrastructure Deficit in Ondo MDAs
The Ondo State Government has begun moves to tackle decades of infrastructure deterioration across Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), with Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa directing a comprehensive assessment of government buildings ahead of planned renovation and rehabilitation works.
The intervention is expected to give ageing government facilities, including buildings dating back to the late 1970s and early 1980s, a major facelift while creating safer and more conducive working conditions for civil servants.
Commissioner for Infrastructure, Lands and Housing, Engr. Ayorinde Abiola Olawoye, FNSE, FNICE, disclosed the development during an inspection of selected government buildings in Akure.
Olawoye, who conducted the exercise alongside the Head of Service, Chief Olusegun Odusanya, and professionals from the ministry, said the inspection followed a directive by Governor Aiyedatiwa to reduce the infrastructure deficit across government facilities.
According to him, architects, engineers and quantity surveyors have been deployed to carry out preliminary studies and determine the level of intervention required in the affected buildings.
“This is yet another testament to Dr. Lucky Aiyedatiwa’s commitment to sustainable infrastructure development in the state and workers’ welfare,” Olawoye said.
He explained that the technical assessment would enable the government to identify structural and other deficiencies, establish priorities and determine the appropriate scope of rehabilitation before physical renovation begins.
The Commissioner said the exercise was not merely about improving the appearance of government buildings but ensuring that public servants have functional, safe and productive environments from which they can deliver services to residents.
Olawoye stressed that maintaining public infrastructure remains critical to effective governance, noting that deteriorating office facilities could negatively affect workers’ productivity and service delivery.
The Head of Service, Chief Odusanya, welcomed the planned intervention, describing the Governor’s decision to give the state Secretariat and other facilities a major facelift as timely.
He revealed that some of the government buildings had been in existence since the late 1970s and early 1980s and had accumulated significant infrastructure deficits over the decades.
Odusanya said rehabilitating the facilities would improve the working environment of civil servants and further demonstrate the administration’s commitment to workers’ welfare.
The ongoing assessment will provide the technical basis for determining which facilities require urgent attention and the extent of renovation necessary across the affected MDAs.
The development signals a broader infrastructure renewal drive by the Aiyedatiwa administration, with attention extending beyond roads and other public projects to government facilities that serve as the operational backbone of the state’s public service.
