Ondo govt to partner communities on rural development

Ondo State government has said it will continue to actively involve people living in the various  rural communities of the state in the determination and execution of projects aimed at ensuring sustainable development. The Special Assistant to the Governor on Community Development and NGO Matters, Mrs Bolanle Olafunmiloye, who said this  in Akure, also unfolded the plan of the government to achieve development in the rural communities.

According to her, government will collaborate with the various civil society groups in the state to achieve a successful implementation of the programme. Towards this end, she explained that the state government had packaged a sustainable development summit tagged, “Marching towards sustainable development in Ondo State…A call to stakeholders” as part of the strategy. She said the essence of the joint effort between the government and the civil society sector was to ensure that the direct beneficiaries determine the projects they wanted and play active roles in the funding and management after execution. The governor's aide explained that the state government had started establishing developmental projects that were aimed at making rural dwellers economically viable and independent. She added that government would ensure that such  venture are sustained beyond the present administration. 

Olafunmiloye said, “Ondo State intends to lead the pack in development, hence it had adopted strategies which take into consideration the interest of different stakeholders and synergise efforts.

“It is hoped that the collaboration in the long-run, would achieve sustainable development because the people will play active roles in the execution of government projects and their management.” she added.

Speaking on the summit, she said the goal was to create a platform of engagement where different stakeholders in the state would discuss pertinent issues that could drive sustainable development. She said the forum would also provide an opportunity for the state to showcase its activities and invite international and national development agency to partner with it on projects that could empower the people and alleviate poverty.