Obasan Oluwafunso 

On Sunday, 23 February 2025, the Federal Government, under the leadership of President Bola Tinubu, flagged off the reconstruction of the Sagamu-Ijebu-Ode-Benin Road, thereby putting an end to the ugly experiences of road users.

The road is one of the country’s most vital economic corridors owing to its importance to travellers going to the Eastern part of the country on a daily basis.

The expressway now wears a new look for transporters and other road users as it has been reconstructed using reinforced concrete pavement on both sides with street lights, thus allowing travelers to move at a very fast pace.

Before the recent intervention of the Federal Government, it was a road that was a death trap, a time waster for travellers.

Until the administration of President Bola Tinubu flagged off its reconstruction about 17 months ago, today, travelling on the reinforced concrete pavement road now speaks volumes about an administration that sees good infrastructure as a critical part of economic development.

The administration of President Tinubu has shown an aggressive desire to reconnect the country through road infrastructure that can stand the test of time, with the introduction of reinforced concrete pavement to replace the spreading of asphalt.

Now, anyone can quickly say he needs to get to Ijebu-Ode from Abeokuta without the fear of driving on a bad portion of the road network; driving now has been made very easy for both drivers and commuters on the over 300 kilometres of the road.

With the eventual completion of the Sagamu-Ijebu-Ode-Benin expressway, efforts of the Federal Government have now turned to the 56.5 kilometres Ijebuode- Ibadan Road with the flag-off of the road by President Bola Tinubu, who was represented by the Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, on Monday, the 24th day of August, 2026.

The representative of President Bola Tinubu at the flag-off affirmed that the contractor is committed to delivering the road project in less than 24 months, adding that the road will also be executed using re-inforced concrete pavement, reflecting the determination of the federal government to deliver a road that offers durability, safety and long-term value.

President Bola Tinubu at the flag-off also reminded Nigerians that, in his administration over the last three years, 47 roads have been reconstructed in the South West, noting the audacious 750 kilometres Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road, which has unlocked the economic benefits and potential of the coastal line of Lagos, Ogun and Ondo States.

The President, who was represented by Governor Dapo Abiodun, also explained that the construction of road networks that can open up new frontiers is what constructive FEDERALISM should produce, saying that different levels of government should continue to work within their constitutional responsibility while pursuing the common objective of improving the welfare of the people of the country.

While noting that regional integration cannot be achieved through declarations alone, the President said that regional integration becomes real when a farmer in Oyo State can move his produce efficiently to a market in Ogun State with greater ease.

“This flag-off is more than the commencement of another road project; it is a decisive statement that a more critical infrastructural deficit will be ignored and a more strategic economic corridor will be allowed to stand in the way of our collective prosperity.

“The Ibadan-Ijebu-Ode road is too important to Oyo State and Ogun State and, of course, Lagos and the entire Nigeria.

“Today, the renewed hope agenda moves beyond promises into practical action through a project that will improve mobility, strengthen commerce and create new possibilities for all our people.

“Oyo and Ogun State share more than a geographical boundary; they are connected by history, culture, commerce, family rela- tionships and common economic interest,” he said.

He added that the foundation being laid with the flag-off of the road is an investment for the future, saying that the importance of the Ijebu-Ode-Ibadan Road extends beyond the two states as the road is one of the strategic arteries of the South West, which links Ibadan, a major centre of commerce, educational transformation to Ijebu-Ode, the economic heartbeat of Ogun East and from there to Lekki, the economic axis of Lagos state.

“In the last three years, my administration has reconstructed 47 roads in the South West; this includes the audacious 750 kilometers Lagos-Calabar Coastal road, which has unlocked the economic benefit and potential of the coastline of the state of Lagos, Ogun and Ondo States just in the South West and of course all the other 14 states in the Southern parts of Nigeria.

“The 1050 kilometers Badagry-Sokoto road, of which 163 kilometers of that road is in Ogun State and 180 kilometers is in Oyo State, the Sagamu interchange-Ajibandele road leading to Benin.

“The completion of the Lagos-Ibadan expressway between Ibadan, Ife and Ilesha, the Ado-Ekiti-Aromoko highway, the Ore-Ondo-Akure dual carriageway, the Ibadan- ilorin highway, the Ikorodu-Itokin and so many other roads too numerous to mention in the South West.

“This is what constructive Federalism should produce: different levels of govern- ment working within their constitutional responsibility while pursuing the common objective of improving the welfare of the people.

The Minister of Works, Engr. David Umahi, whose Ministry is responsible for executing the order of President Bola Tinubu to give road networks across the country a new face, disclosed that the President has directed that the abandoned 70 kilometres Ibadan to Abeokuta Road should be resumed without any further delay.

Umahi, who added that the Federal Government would be rebuilding and dualizing the 70 kilometres Ibadan-Abeokuta Road, said that the abandoned Oyo-Ibadan Road awarded in 2018 has been redesigned on a reinforced concrete pavement structure.

On the ongoing Ife to Ilesha Road, Umahi explained that about 80 kilometres out of the 108 kilometres has been dualized using reinforced concrete pavement on one carriageway, adding that traffic would be turned to the completed 80 kilometres of the Ife to Ilesha Road by the end of August, 2026.

While adding that about 95% of the legacy projects of President Bola Tinubu are passing through the existing road that never worked, the Minister disclosed that work is also currently ongoing on the second NIGER Bridge.

The Chairman, Senate Committee on Works and his counterpart in the House of Representatives; Senator Allwell Onyesoh and Hon. Akin Alabi both commended the President for approving the reconstruction of the road which was conceived in 1965 to link the people of Ibadan and Ijebu, saying that the road which is expected to be completed before 24 months would bring relief to the people after so many years of travelling on the deplorable road.

“The President has directed that the project that was awarded, the Ibadan-Abeokuta road, a very important road which has been abandoned for ages, President Tinubu has directed that the 70 kilometers should be reconstructed.

“We are not constructing roads, he said; it should be rebuilt and dualized. Tell me any of the projects, roads and bridges in the South West that were passable before President Bola Ahmed Tinubu came on board; today, you have all the impossible being made possible by the president,” he said.

A former Governor of Oyo State and now the Olubadan of Ibadan, Oba Rashid Ladoja, expressed his happiness that the eventual completion of the road would help reduce incidents of banditry and kidnapping, while also strengthening the existing peaceful relationship between the people of Ibadan and Ijebu.

The Ebumawe of Ago-Iwoye, Oba Abdulrazaq Adenugba, said that the reconstruction of the road would not only revive commercial activities but also improve connectivity and reduce accidents, noting that the road, when ready for use, would also erase the negative impact the poor road network in the past had on the people of Ibadan and Ijebu.

All hands are definitely on deck by virtually all sons and daughters of Ijebu and Ibadan who no doubt would be direct beneficiaries of the road project, as it is expected that in the next 24 months, the road would be completed and open to the general public.

Seeing they say is BELIEVING, the Sagamu-Ijebu-Ode-Benin road is a testament to the true nature of the present administration in the country, as it is expected that the Ibadan-Ijebu-Ode road would soon join the list of roads redesigned and reconstructed using the reinforced concrete pavement.

What if other administrations before now had done the same, we would have become a country where road infrastructure isn’t a big deal.

Obasan Oluwafunso writes from the Ogun State Ministry of Information and Strategy, Abeokuta.