The Ekiti State Government has approved a total of N1.197 billion for various projects, including roads, flood prevention, procurement and distribution of agricultural inputs to farmers.
The government will also undertake the payment of final compensation for airport land acquisition.
The Commissioner for Information, Taiwo Olatunbosun, said in a statement on Friday that the approval was given during last week’s State Executive Council meeting held on Thursday.
Olatunbosun said the approvals given at the meeting included the payment of N301.98 million as the second and last tranche of compensation to the remaining 377 claimants whose crops and structures were affected by the airport acquisition process.
He said Governor Biodun Oyebanji was passionate about improving existing infrastructure and initiating new projects for economic advancement to the people’s benefit, but also remained committed to ensuring that owners of crops and structures affected by the projects were duly compensated.
Olatunbosun said the executive also directed that “all public buildings in the state must comply with the disability law, in creating access to people with mobility difficulties, by providing ramps and equipment to help them access the buildings with ease by the end of 2025”.
He classified public buildings to include malls and supermarkets, churches, mosques, educational institutions (schools), banks, and official buildings, among others.
The commissioner said the exco also approved N150 million for the procurement and distribution of improved seeds, agrochemicals, and fertilisers, among others, to farmers in the state.
He listed inputs to be distributed to include maize, rice, cocoa, cassava stalks, oil palm, cashews and agrochemicals.
The commissioner said the state government had earlier approved N450 million as the state’s support for the scheme, which was affected by the delay from the Federal Government on input distribution.
According to him, the approval of the N150 million was to ensure prompt and timely distribution of the inputs while the remaining N300 million would be reserved for procurement of fertiliser.
Olatunbosun said the executive also approved N268.17 million for the rehabilitation of Housing Roundabout to Prison Junction Road in Ado Ekiti, in fulfilment of the state government’s desire to strategically maintain roads in the state capital and other major towns in the state.
He said that approval of N165.55 million was also given for the de-silting of drains, culverts and access slabs in Ado, Ikere and Irepodun/Ifelodun local government areas.
According to him, the approval was in furtherance of the intervention of the Oyebanji administration in the dredging of waterways and the de-silting of all hydraulic infrastructures, including dams, reservoirs, canals, water courses, culverts, bridges and other flood control structures across the state.
He said that the administration also approved N221.66 million for the construction of an Arts and Cultural Centre “to address the need for the state Ministry of Arts, Culture and Creative Economy to have a befitting cultural centre that will promote and preserve the state’s cultural heritage”.
He said that the centre would have an arts theatre; art gallery and museum; multipurpose hall; sales point for artworks, crafts and souvenirs; 10 huts for craftsmen and women; two bush-bar and kitchens; conveniences; borehole; generator house; and security post.
According to him, N90 million to assess the urban pipeline water network in the state was also approved, as part of the sector reforms aimed at improving the management and delivery of sustainable water supply services under the Sustainable Urban and Rural Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene programme.
