Reconstruction of the 56.5-kilometre Ibadan-Ijebu-Ode Road has been flagged off by President Bola Tinubu. The project is valued at N297 billion. The ceremony took place in Ibadan, Oyo State, on Monday.
According to Tribune Online, the President also approved the redesign and reconstruction of the Ibadan-Abeokuta Road and 15 other roads in the South-West region. The flag-off for the dualisation was held at the Idi Ayunre end of the road in Ibadan.
DailyVista247 gathered that the project is being handled by JRB Construction Company and will be completed within 36 months. The road has been in a state of disrepair for years and serves as a vital link between Oyo and Ogun states, connecting several agrarian communities along the route. Upon completion, it is expected to increase the Gross Domestic Product of the affected states and attract more local and foreign investments.
Speaking through the Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, Tinubu described the project as one of the cardinal programmes of his administration, particularly in infrastructural development, aimed at reducing hardship by making roads across the 36 states motorable. He said the Ibadan-Ijebu-Ode corridor is too important for the Federal Government to neglect, noting that its importance extends beyond the boundaries of the two states. He recalled that for decades, farmers, manufacturers, students and other residents have depended on the road, and said the project reflects the Federal Government's commitment to delivering safer roads. He charged the contractor to deliver on schedule.
The flag-off ceremony was attended by the Ogun State Governor, his deputy Engr Noimot Salako-Oyedele, the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, the APC governorship candidate Senator Sharafadeen Alli, the Minister of Works Engr Dave Umahi, the Minister of State for Works Bello Mohammed and other chieftains and eminent personalities from Oyo and Ogun states. Dignitaries described the reconstruction as a landmark project that would outlive the current administration. The Minister of State for Works said the completion would ease transportation bottlenecks experienced by residents of the two states and further shows the commitment of the administration to infrastructural development across the federation, including the Federal Capital Territory.
The project has a political undertone ahead of 2027. The Minister of State for Works appealed to residents to reciprocate the gesture by voting massively for Tinubu and all APC candidates in 2027. Similarly, the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, lauded the gesture and assured that the people of the region would reciprocate with their votes. He said Tinubu deserves to have been President for a long time and appreciated him for making the project possible, having known about insecurity on the road. He said the performance is likely to help him win the coming election and recalled leading Oyo Obas to the President in appreciation of the rescue of Oriire kidnapped victims. He noted that the road will improve the relationship between the Ijebu and Ibadan people and said he had been assured delivery in 24 months, even though the official timeline is 36 months.
The Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, described the road as a gift from President Tinubu to the Olubadan, disclosing that the President acted on a letter written by Oba Ladoja on the need for infrastructural development in the South-West. He revealed that every road being built by the current administration has a lifespan of 100 years and that many roads have been redesigned, including the Ibadan-Ife-Ilesha corridor. He added that while not all projects may be completed by 2027, all will be completed and commissioned on or before 2031. He also disclosed that the President directed the reconstruction of Ibadan-Abeokuta Road and 15 other roads in the region.
A member of the House of Representatives who moved the motion for the dualisation appealed to community members to support the project for timely completion and urged the Minister to pay due attention to it given its importance to economic growth. Senator Sharafadeen Alli noted that the road was one of the first constructed during the administration of the late sage Chief Obafemi Awolowo and said it would boost commerce in the South-West. The Ebumawe of Ago-Iwoye, who represented traditional rulers in Ijebuland, said the project would ease transportation problems, address insecurity and improve the economy.
