Officials at the commissioning of the Ijebu-Ode–Ibadan Expressway.

BY FRONTLINE REPORTERS

The Federal Government has officially flagged off the reconstruction and dualisation of the 56.5-kilometre Ijebu-Ode–Ibadan road, a major Southwest corridor expected to transform transportation, strengthen commerce and stimulate economic activities across Ogun and Oyo states.

Representing President Bola Tinubu at the ceremony in Ibadan, Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun said the project would significantly improve connectivity between communities, reduce insecurity, create jobs and strengthen the agricultural value chain. He described the road as a strategic infrastructure project with far-reaching socioeconomic benefits.

President Tinubu, in a message delivered at the event, described the Ijebu-Ode–Ibadan corridor as a vital economic artery linking Ibadan and Ijebu-Ode with the Lekki economic axis and other parts of the Southwest and Nigeria. He said the project represented a shift from promises to practical action under the Renewed Hope Agenda, with the potential to reduce travel time and transportation costs while improving access to markets, jobs, education and healthcare.

The President said the road would be constructed as a dual carriageway using continuous reinforced concrete pavement designed to guarantee durability, safety and long-term value. He charged the contractor, JRB, to mobilise fully to site, comply strictly with approved specifications and complete the project within the agreed timeframe. He also appealed to host communities to cooperate with the contractor and government agencies, warning against encroachment, disruption and unreasonable demands that could delay construction.

Minister of Works Dave Umahi disclosed that President Tinubu had also directed the immediate reconstruction and dualisation of the 70-kilometre Ibadan–Abeokuta Road, with the procurement process already underway. He said Oyo State currently had 17 major road projects among the 47 Federal Government projects being executed across the Southwest, while highlighting other strategic projects, including the Badagry–Sokoto Road, Oyo–Ogbomoso Road and the resuscitated Oyo–Ibadan Road.

Umahi described JRB as one of Nigeria’s best-equipped indigenous contractors and urged communities along the corridor to support the company to ensure timely delivery. Other speakers, including Senate Committee on Works Chairman Allwell Onyesoh, House Committee on Works Chairman Akin Alabi and representatives of the affected constituencies, said the road had long been central to the economic and social development of the region.

Traditional rulers, including the Olubadan of Ibadan, Oba Rashid Ladoja, and the Ebumawe of Ago-Iwoye, Oba Rasak Adenugba, welcomed the project, recalling the road’s years of deterioration and its impact on commerce, security and the wellbeing of communities along the corridor. They expressed optimism that its reconstruction would curb criminal activities, reduce accidents and revive economic activities.

Awarded on May 5, 2026, and commenced on July 11, the Ijebu-Ode–Ibadan project is scheduled for completion on June 10, 2029. Once delivered, the strategic corridor is expected to provide a major boost to regional trade, agriculture, manufacturing and movement of people and goods across Ogun, Oyo, Lagos and the wider Southwest.