The Oyo State Government has expressed its plans to embark on a digital address system for street and house numbering across Oyo State. This is following a strategy meeting involving the Oyo State Commissioner for Lands, Housing, and Urban Development, Mr. Williams Akin-funmilayo and critical stakeholders yesterday 30th July, the press statement of the Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Prince Dotun Oyelade revealed.
Speaking after the meeting with Smart City Development Konsult Limited, the Commissioner of Lands, Housing and Urban Development, Mr. Williams Akin Funmilayo said that the plan is part of Governor ‘Seyi Makinde’s Omititun 2.0 Sustainable Development Goals, saying the project is part of the promise made by the Governor.
According to him, ‘as the saying goes, a promise made is a promise kept. His Excellency, in his Omituntun 2.0 Roadmap to Sustainable Development, made several promises. One of the tasks that falls under the purview of the Ministry of Lands, Housing, and Urban Development is house numbering. Out of all the promises made, which serve as covenant between His Excellency and the good people of Oyo State, house numbering stands out, and we, his lieutenants, are doing all we can to ensure its actualization.’
‘House numbering involves assigning a unique number to every building. The importance of this exercise cannot be overemphasized. Among its numerous benefits, it helps in easy identification and location of buildings. More importantly, it plays a crucial role in emergency response, be it fire outbreaks or health emergencies requiring an ambulance.’
‘Without house numbers, how would emergency responders locate the building? It becomes a case of confusion, repeated calls, and potentially fatal delays. We all understand how critical time is during emergencies. Delays could lead to the loss of properties, or worse, lives. If fire services or ambulances cannot locate the right building on time, the consequences could be tragic.’
‘These, among many other reasons, are why we are committed to this house numbering project. Although this administration has less than two years remaining, we believe it is essential to start the process before we leave the office.’
Mr. Akin-funmilayo maintained that the presentation made by the Smart City Development Consult is part of the preliminary stage that will lead to the presentation to the exco level. He explained that when the project is eventually implemented, it will ensure easy identification, the location of buildings, and an emergency response for the state. ‘The Commissioner for Budget and Economy Planning, Prof. Musibau Babatunde and I have discussed this move with the Governor, and he has given his support. So this presentation is part of the preliminary of what we have to do before pushing it out to the executive council level’, he said.