Oghenevwede Ohwovoriole in Abuja
Ondo Community Connect (OCC), an initiative for community prioritised projects in support of the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has promised to cover the entire 203 political wards in Ondo State in its grassroots intervention efforts.
This was disclosed by the state Coordinator of OCC, Iretidola Ojekhoa, during an interview on the programme’s activities and expansion plans.
Ojekhoa said the initiative was designed to give communities a direct channel to present their needs, rather than imposing predetermined projects on them.
She said the programme initially concentrated on communities around Akure but had now expanded its mandate to the 203 wards in the state’s 18 local government areas.
“Our core mandate is to touch all 203 wards of the 18 LGAs in Ondo State, and that is the standard we are now holding ourselves to, so no part of the state is left behind,” she said.
She explained that OCC conducts physical assessments after communities register, allowing residents to identify their most pressing needs. Where communities present several challenges, the programme applies a priority matrix based on impact, urgency, cost-effectiveness and the speed at which a project can improve quality of life.
This approach, she said, ensures that women, youths and people from different age groups have a say in determining priorities, while other needs remain on the programme’s roadmap.
At Ayede in Ilara-Mokin, Ifedore Local Government Area, residents identified the excavation of a blocked waterway as their most urgent need after explaining that heavy rainfall regularly caused flooding in nearby homes.
An elderly resident reportedly appealed during the assessment, saying, “E wa wo ile mi, omi lo kun be,” meaning, “Come and see my house, it is full of water.”
Similarly, residents of Ireakari Community in Ilara-Mokin presented road grading, drainage, a borehole and solar streetlights as their major needs, but selected solar lighting as their priority. Ojekhoa said poles and foundation materials had been supplied, with installation underway.
Other communities, including Aaye, Ibuji, Kajola, Apatakpiti, Oke-Ogba and Ijigba, have also received solar streetlight interventions, while Authentic Iyenge in Akure South identified road rehabilitation as its priority.
The programme has also supported public institutions, including Positive FM in Akure, where it provided a 22kVA solar inverter system with 32 solar panels, as well as the National Identity Management Commission office in Akure.
Beyond physical infrastructure, Ojekhoa said OCC had introduced skills development as part of its intervention strategy. Beneficiaries trained in shoemaking and leatherwork later received production contracts from the initiative to make school bags, sandals and high-visibility jackets for field personnel.
According to her, the model was inspired partly by Kogi Connect, although the Ondo initiative differs in its sponsorship, with OCC supported by Tunji-Ojo. She said the programme also reflects the minister’s community-focused activities before his appointment to the Federal Executive Council.
Ojekhoa said OCC originally planned to deliver one or two projects in each ward but had expanded the scope to allow multiple interventions within local government areas where needs are verified and resources permitted.
She said the programme would seek to double its assessment rate over the next 12 months, reach more unreached communities and accelerate delivery through partnerships and additional direct-impact projects. It also plans to produce a community feedback documentary to capture residents’ experiences.
By the end of next year, OCC aims to assess at least 40 additional communities and complete interventions in communities visited under Batch B before commencing Batch C assessments. Ojekhoa, however, said the pace would depend on funding, partnerships and community readiness.
She identified sustainability as another priority, noting that community ownership must accompany project delivery. According to her, some expensive projects had become unusable because communities failed to address minor maintenance issues, while others repeatedly returned for additional support after receiving earlier interventions.
Describing this as the “Oliver Twist” effect, she said repeated requests could stretch available resources and delay assistance to communities still waiting.
“The community has to remain responsible for ownership, otherwise we will keep going back and forth,” she said.
With 800 communities already registered, OCC is now expanding its assessment and intervention activities across Ondo State, with its long-term target remaining coverage of all 203 wards while allowing residents to determine the projects that address their most urgent needs.