The Oyo State Government, through the Oyo State New Towns and Cities Development Authority (OYNTCDA), has pledged to build people-centred smart cities driven by innovation, technology, and inclusiveness.
The Executive Adviser to Governor ‘Seyi Makinde on OYNTCDA, Mrs. Mofoluke Adebiyi, stated this at the 2025 World Cities Day commemoration, held at the Local Government Staff Training School, Secretariat, Ibadan.
This was conveyed in a statement on Monday by the Commissioner for Information, Dotun Oyelade, and made available to Newsmen in Ibadan, the state capital.
Adebiyi said that smart cities must balance innovation with inclusion, stressing that the state government’s initiatives aim to address pressing challenges such as inadequate housing and urban congestion.
The event, with the theme ‘People-Centred Smart Cities’, focused on creating urban spaces that prioritise human well-being alongside technological progress.
Adebiyi described the theme as one that harmonises closely with Makinde’s urban development agenda, which emphasises ‘technology and, more importantly, people-focused innovation and inclusive spatial planning’.
She explained that the Ibadan Circular Road Corridor and the Ilu-Tuntun Smart City Project are testaments to the governor’s commitment to modern and inclusive urban development.
‘Across the world, cities are undergoing profound transformation’, she said.
‘Digital technology now shapes how people live, move, and interact, influencing everything from mobility to waste management, building design, and governance. Yet, at the core of every successful city lies the human element—the community, the sense of belonging, and equitable access to opportunities’, Mrs. Adebiyi added.
According to her, the creation of OYNTCDA was a deliberate step towards coordinated and sustainable urban growth.
‘The Authority’s mandate is to lead the planning, coordination, and delivery of new model cities, integrated districts, and infrastructure-led development corridors that can reshape the urban landscape of our dear state’, she said.
Highlighting the state’s flagship projects, Ilu-Tuntun New City and the Circular Road Corridor Urban District, Adebiyi said the developments reflect the state’s forward-looking vision.
‘Ilu-Tuntun New City, located in Akinyele Local Government Area, is conceptualised as a modern, globally competitive urban hub that integrates smart infrastructure, innovation-driven enterprise zones, and inclusive residential neighbourhoods’, she said.
‘It’s not merely about decongesting Ibadan; it’s about attracting new residents, industries, and investors’, she added.
Additionally, she said the Circular Road Corridor Urban District, covering about 2,600 hectares in its first phase, is being developed as a mixed-use zone linking multiple peri-urban local governments, with potential for logistics, housing, and commercial expansion.
Adebiyi explained further that Oyo State is leveraging Geographic Information Systems (GIS), digital permitting, and spatial databases to improve urban governance and equitable land allocation. However, she stressed that the success of the projects would depend on active community participation and collaboration.
‘Smart cities are not defined by technology alone, but by how technology serves people’, she said.
‘We are engaging with communities, traditional leaders, developers, and academia to ensure that every project reflects shared aspirations and inclusive participation’, Mrs. Adebiyi added.
The executive adviser to Makinde revealed that the state is also aligning with UN-Habitat’s Strategic Plan (2026–2029), focusing on housing, land, and basic services to deepen its sustainable urban development agenda
Delivering a keynote address titled ‘Building Smart and Inclusive Cities—A Case Study of Ilu-Tuntun Business District Initiative’, a Fellow of the Nigerian Institute of Architects, Olufemi Oyenekan, highlighted the Oyo State Government’s efforts to reposition Ibadan through strategic urban innovations such as the Ibadan Circular Road Development Project under OYNTCDA.
‘Smart cities are not about technology; they are about people living better lives’, Oyenekan said, quoting Carlo Ratti of MIT’s Senseable City Lab to underscore the human-centred approach driving Oyo State’s urban renewal vision.
In his welcome address, the Executive Secretary of OYNTCDA, Mr. Seun Raji, described the event as historic, being the first in the history of the state.
Also speaking, the Chairman, Akinyele Local Government, Wole Akinyele, expressed delight at the Oyo State Government’s plans for new towns and cities development, saying that rural dwellers would benefit in terms of electricity and good roads coming to their communities.
In her remarks, the immediate past Head of Service, Alhaja Ololade Agboola, called for support from all stakeholders for the new agency.
