The Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has said his administration has made available 35,000 hectares of land for housing and industrial development projects in various towns and cities across the State.

Obaseki said this when he received executive members of the Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers (NIESV) led by its President, ESV Johnbull Osarumen Amayaevbo, on a courtesy visit, at the Government House, Benin City.

Commending the body for upholding the ethics of the profession, the governor said his government will continue to collaborate with the NIESV to sanitize the built environment.

He said, “We are making available about 35,000 hectares of land for housing and industrial development in several cities in the state. It will be done in partnership with communities, as we are not disposing anyone of their land. The Land Use Act is clear. All the communities will be carried along and made to understand what we are doing.

“We are planning new towns and developing and opening up industrial estates for production. We need professional support to help us obtain the manpower we need to do these things properly. We will need a lot of support from the institution and its professional members. We will collaborate to run training to build human capacity that will contribute effectively to this vision.”

Hailing the elevation of Amayaevbo as the President of NIESV, the governor said his emergence as the first Benin man to occupy the seat was apt and timely, adding, “You came at a very critical time as we face challenges amid the reforms we are undertaking to reposition and change the narrative in the building space. We are not afraid of challenges, especially embracing our reforms that will benefit Edo people.”

He further noted, “Over the last decade, we have had a breakdown of law and order in land administration in Edo State but today, my team and I are trying to change the narrative and re-enact and manage the built environment.”

The governor restated that his government is working tirelessly to create a conducive environment to support the inflow of investments into the state, adding, “We want people to have rest of mind when they buy land in Edo.”

On his part, the NIESV president, Amayaevbo commended the governor for his bold and pragmatic reforms aimed at making the state an investment destination.

He said, “The various policies of your administration are already yielding positive outcomes with an attendant boost in the quality of life of average citizens of Edo State. There are proofs indicating to that effect; facts don't lie.”