Adeyeye Ogunwusi, the Ooni of Ile-Ife, says Nigerians should take proactive steps to improve the country rather than blame the government.
Ogunwusi spoke in Akure, the Ondo state capital, on Friday at the official showcase of Ojaja Smart City, noting that the need to address the housing deficit in the country led him to initiate the project. “A lot of good things can happen in this country, and if we believe in ourselves and believe in Nigeria that Nigerians can do it, then our deficit of housing will continue to reduce gradually,” he said.
“We cannot continue to cry over it. We know that we have a housing deficit in the country, but we need to make do with what we have to get results.” The Ooni appealed to Nigerians to patronise local brands, noting that 90 percent of the products used for the project were locally sourced.
He said the Ojaja smart city is a 100,000-square-metre land project that would help the country meet its housing needs. “We need to buy in Nigeria; we need to produce in Nigeria, including our housing needs,” the Ooni added.
“And our project here is a city on its own. It is over 100,000 square metre, and we are trying to showcase what is possible in Nigeria. We do not need to leave government to do everything for us, and I believe Nigeria will be in a better place if we rise up to support the government at all levels. We are always blaming the government, including the media, but what are we all doing individually for our dear country?”
