The Cross River State Government has flagged off construction of the 500-Unit Senator Prince Bassey Edet Otu Housing Estate, also known as the Sweet Prince Housing Estate, in Okuni, Ikom Local Government Area. The groundbreaking ceremony held on Saturday, July 4, 2026, was performed on behalf of Governor Senator Prince Bassey Edet Otu by the Speaker of the Cross River State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Elvert Ayambem, who represented the Governor at the event.
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Speaking at the event, the Honourable Commissioner for Housing, Dr. Beatrice Igwe, said the day marked more than a ceremony, it was the laying of a foundation, both literally and figuratively, for a new approach to housing delivery in the state. She noted that housing demand across Nigeria has long outpaced supply, pricing many citizens out of decent shelter, but said Cross River under Governor Otu’s “People First” leadership was charting a different course by building scalable, replicable housing systems rather than one-off estates.
According to her, the Okuni project is Phase One of a broader plan to deliver 1,500 housing units spread across the state’s three senatorial districts, 500 in the North, 500 in the Central, and 500 in the South, all built on a single standardized design, one procurement template, and one cooperative finance pathway. She said the housing scheme is aimed squarely at low-income earners, civil servants, teachers, nurses, artisans, businessmen, and young families who earn a living but remain shut out of conventional mortgage financing. Dr. Igwe described the model driving the project as a Public-Private-Community Partnership, government providing the enabling environment, policy direction, and off-take assurance; the private sector supplying capital, technical expertise, and speed; and the community taking ownership through cooperatives and labour participation. She said the arrangement keeps costs down, cuts delays, and strengthens accountability. She commended the Governor for backing housing with political will rather than promises alone, thanked partners including LEDA Nigeria Limited and the Regional Sustainable Energy Center of Excellence for Sub-Saharan Africa, and appreciated the Okuni Community for releasing land for the project, urging residents to protect the estate and get ready to occupy it with pride.
The estate will feature two-bedroom semi-detached and three-bedroom detached bungalows within a planned layout offering security, steady power and water supply, a health clinic, school, market, recreation centre, worship centres, and good roads. Speaking on behalf of the Governor, Rt. Hon. Elvert Ayambem said the project shows the administration is turning campaign promises into results that touch people’s lives directly, and called it proof of the Governor’s vision for building thriving communities through investment in infrastructure and social development.
Dignitaries present at the ceremony included the Ikom Local Government Chairman, Hon. Pastor Mrs. Mercy Nsor; the Senior Special Adviser on General Duty to the Governor, Barr. Akiba Ekpenyong; the Honourable Commissioner for Lands, Chief Francis Ekpenyong; the Honourable Commissioner for Power, Hon. Eka Williams; the member representing Ikom I State Constituency, Hon. Neji Abang; the member representing Yala I State Constituency, Hon. Brian Odey; permanent secretaries; traditional rulers led by the Paramount Ruler of Ikom; youths and residents of Okuni Community; development partners; and members of the press.
LEDA Nig. Ltd. is developing the project, with support from the Regional Sustainable Energy Center of Excellence for Sub-Saharan Africa. With construction now underway, the Okuni estate adds to the growing list of projects marking the Otu administration’s drive toward purposeful governance and infrastructure built to serve Cross Riverians for generations to come.
Press Unit;
Office of The Honorable Commissioner For Housing Cross River State
GALLERY
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