Ogun State government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the British High Commission towards bringing urban renewal and public transportation up to speed with global best practices.

Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Mr. Tokunbo Talabi, who signed on behalf of the State Government, and Head of Future Cities Programme of the British High Commission, Guy Harrison, agreed that it had become expedient to be futuristic.

The partnership drive between Ogun and Britain is captured under the ‘Future Cities Nigeria’, a United Kingdom-funded urban renewal programme with a timeline of three years.

According to the programme outline, UK will provide support for the Ogun transport sector. The British government will also fast-track housing and urban developments in Ogun, which is facing the challenge of absorbing spill-over of the population explosion in Lagos.

Speaking at the MoU signing ceremony at the Governors’ Office in Abeokuta, Mr. Talabi commended the initiative, saying it would complement the various efforts of the state government in its desire to plan for a common prosperous future for the people of the state and for physical infrastructure.

Talabi noted that the present administration was committed to providing the enabling environment for such partnerships to thrive seamlessly.

His words, “We thank the British government and the Future Cities Nigeria for this laudable initiative targeted at planning towards the future in Ogun. This level of support cannot be diminished because the Dapo Abiodun-led administration is determined to change the narrative on how things are done.”

On his part, Harrison said that the team was in the state to support the viable policies of Abiodun, to fully maximise the benefits of urban renewal and transportation available.