Ondo, FG partner to build 1,000 housing units

The Ondo State Government has partnered with the Federal Government to construct 1,000 housing units across the state. The project aims to address the housing challenges in the state and provide affordable housing for residents.

The Ondo State Commissioner for Lands and Housing, Akinwumi Sowore, disclosed this on Thursday during a media parley in Akure.

He explained that the state government had allocated 100 hectares of land to the Federal Housing Authority in Akure, Ikare, Ore, and Ugbo for the construction of the housing units.

Sowore said the ministry was responsible for the construction, upgrade, and maintenance of all public buildings to global standards.

He added that the ministry was also in charge of land acquisition, payment of compensation, dispute resolution, and management of government lands.

In a related development, the Ondo State Government has also launched the Orange Health Insurance Scheme (ORANGHIS) to provide health coverage for artisans, market women, farmers, commercial transport operators, and private sector workers.

The scheme aims to provide health insurance for 4,000 people in the informal sector.

The Commissioner for Health, Dr. Banji Ajaka, said that 101,017 enrollees, including public servants and their dependents, were already covered under ORANGHIS. He added that over 460 surgeries had been performed under the scheme in less than two years.

Also, the state government has distributed free drugs and health commodities worth N100 million to secondary and tertiary health facilities since March 2023.

The Special Adviser to the Governor on Health, Prof. Simi Odimayo, said the ministry had also paid full hazard allowances for health workers and approved the commencement of new entry points for doctors and nurses.