For anyone who hears or reads about Ibadan, its rich history and its struggles as a historic megacity in a modern era, it is not unexpected to think of old buildings, old roads, and old infrastructure as Ibadan’s lot.
But this has always been a headache for urban and regional planners, who have noted over the years that rebuilding Ibadan into the modern era has become an important task that must be undertaken by the state government.
From Popoyemoja to Kannike in Yemetu, from Sabo to Bodija, residents of Ibadan city who spoke with Saturday Tribune have expressed joy at what they described as ongoing great efforts to modernise Ibadan. They noted that the road rehabilitation projects in the city were pacesetting and a welcome development, just as many of them, like Oliver Twist, asked for more.
A town planner and an indigene of Ibadan, Rasheed Akin-Lawal, who spoke with Saturday Tribune maintained that Ibadan City had been growing at such an alarming rate that most of its infrastructure is stretched daily. He added that the number of vehicles in Ibadan in the last five to 10 years had tripled what used to ply the city’s roads in the last 25 years; a situation which he noted had made the city’s roads experience faster wear and tear.
“Planning has always been an issue with Ibadan. The colonial masters did a great job with planning the city; if you go to areas such as Oke Ado, Mokola and Agodi, you will understand what I am saying. But over the years, successive governments have looked the other way and there has been a sort of haphazard physical development, but that is a topic for another day.
“You asked about the ongoing rehabilitation of major roads in Ibadan. That is a very good development. Most of these roads were constructed more than 30 to 50 years ago and so, it is expected that they will begin to deteriorate unless something drastic is done. There is nothing that can be more drastic than this total overhaul going on.
“I have seen what the government is doing in Bodija, Yemetu, Dugbe, Molete, Iyaganku. We should commend them,” he said.
Apart from Akin-Lawal, many other residents who spoke with Saturday Tribune commended the Makinde government for the initiative on road rehabilitation.
A resident of Kannike area in Yemetu, Ibadan, Mr Soliu Alani, who also spoke with Saturday Tribune, said: “We should tell the truth; this governor has been doing well. Look, I could never have imagined that any government would do anything on Yemetu-Total Garden Road, because we all know that governments always wait until something goes completely bad before they do anything.
“We are happy that the governor has reconstructed this place and I see many other inner roads in Ibadan being done. Don’t you see this road going to Bodija? See Beere-Molete Road that was abandoned and was in a very bad state?”
Also commenting on the projects, the immediate past President-General of the Central Council of Ibadan Indigenes (CCII), Prince Yemisi Adeaga, described the rehabilitation of inner roads in Ibadan metropolis as an activity in the right direction.
He said: “As a person, I believe in the sequence of project execution. The major roads serve as a pool of movement for everybody.
“The hinterland serves as input for traffic into the bigger ones. Having done quite a number of the inner roads, adjoining roads are the next most important things, because transportation aids the speed at which economic activities are carried out. So, the better the roads are; the easier for economic activities.
“I believe it is an activity in the right direction but it must not affect other basic infrastructure.”
But like the Yoruba saying that no one can know Oso more than his mother, the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Akinloye Owolabi Olakulehin, who spoke through his son, Aremo, Sumbo Owolabi, a lawyer, also lauded the government’s strides on the rehabilitation and asphaltic re-laying of inner roads in Ibadan.
Olubadan, who noted that the rehabilitation will further improve the economic development of Ibadanland, however, charged the government to continue to do more for the state capital and other parts of the state.
Governor Makinde began the Ibadan renewal project with the award of contracts for the rehabilitation of 87 kilometres of inner roads in December 2023.
Acting on his electoral promise to focus on fixing inner roads in his second term of office, the state government embarked on the rehabilitation and asphaltic laying of inner roads in the state capital, with the Commissioner for Works, Prof. Dahud Shangodoyin, noting that the project was aimed at enhancing urban mobility, boosting economic activities and improving residents’ quality of life.
The Commissioner, who highlighted the scope of work to include feeder roads and major thoroughfares, said: “We considered and approved five briefs in the area of infrastructure. They are asphaltic rehabilitation of some roads in Ibadan, which will be handled by Oyo State Road Maintenance Agency (OYSROMA).
“The roads OYSROMA will work on include U.I junction to Agbowo linking Ojoo–Iwo road expressway with a spur to Preboye’s World, which is 2.3km; Sango-Eleyele road, which is 10.6km; Zion Plaza, Olusoji Avenue linking Alao Akala expressway, which is 1.25km; a culvert at Eleyele/Ologuneru road junction; Eleyele roundabout, Water Corporation, Eruwa Garage road, which is 0.63km.
“Other roads listed for rehabilitation are: Oshuntokun – Housing Corporation – Elewure – Awolowo, Are Junction-Ashi along Bodija road, which is 3.48km; Bodija-Oju-Irin-Ashi-Basorun with a spur to Ojoo, which is 3.45km; reconstruction of U.I (Preboye junction)-Bodija market- Secretariat road-Beere roundabout dual carriageway, 15.53km; Government House-NTA junction-Ikolaba-JAMB office.
“The list also includes: Officers Mess-Federal Secretariat-Custom office dual carriageway, 6.13km; Queens Cinema-Dugbe-Sango-Trans Amusement park junction and 11.74km dual carriageway.
“Others are the construction of Molete (under bridge)-Oke Ado-Oke Bola-Queens Cinema-Dugbe dual carriageway, 9.3km; Iyaganku-7th Day Adventist Church-Oke Bola junction-Olubadan stadium junction-Vale College-NUJ PRESS Centre junction with spur to Total filling station-Radio Nigeria-Kobiowu Estate-Akinyemi Junction-Ring Road, 3.85km; dualisation of Mile 10-Ring road-Mobil-Challenge car park, 8.5km; General Gas junction-Kolapo Ishola-Iyana Church with spur to Dizzengoff, 5.48km. The total length of Lot 1 is 70.45km.
“Also marked for rehabilitation are; the reconstruction of Bus Stop-Gate-Oje-Beere-Ojaaba-Molete (under bridge) dual carriageway, 10.8km and Oke Adu-Ode Aje- Aremo-Orita Aperin, 3.5km. The total length of Lot 2 is 14.3km.”
Most of these roads have been completed as of this month while work is ongoing on others, as the government is working to meet its targeted December delivery date.
Will all the road rehabilitations in Ibadan be completed by December? When will the project reach our sides? These and many more questions have been on the lips of residents of the state. But as of now, traders, motorists and other users of the roads already touched by the government’s urban renewal wave have a word of commendation for the administration of Engr. Makinde, the governor many of his followers have dubbed ‘Engineer of Modern Oyo State.’
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