The brand new year 2025 is here and Governor Dapo Abiodun has left no one in doubt that with renewed, bold and audacious approaches, he will continue the fulfillment of his campaign promises to the good people of Ogun State.
In his new year message, Governor Abiodun said, 2025 will be a time to address some of the major challenges facing the state, using his deep understanding of the various socio-economic factors.
Using the governor’s wonderful performances and ratings in 2024 as yardsticks, pundits are already predicting that Abiodun will deliver on more of his promises to the advantage of the good people of the different parts of Ogun state.
Last year, the good listener that he is, he calmly but intently examined the many constructive criticisms directed at his person and his administration by sincerely concerned stakeholders as well as the destructive and tirades of opposition politicians at various times, seeking to further understand the needs of his people in his quest to leave Ogun state and its citizens much better than he met both in 2019.
Since his emergence as governor, he has been redefining the responsibilities of government in Ogun State. The silent operator that he is, within a short period of time, his administration has constructed about 700kilometres of roads, spread across the three senatorial districts of the state.
These completed roads are beside the several other ongoing road projects as we speak. Always eager to promptly address the concerns raised at any time, Governor Abiodun in 2024, gave ultimatums to contractors handling roads and other projects across the state.
The Ogun State helmsman who also got elected as the Chairman of the Southern Governors’ Forum in 2024, ended the year tackling the road deficit in many parts of the state, including Akute, Agbara, Sango-Otta, Mowe, etc, with renewed vigour. He has promised to continue with that.
Already, following the firm instructions and inspection visits by the governor and other leading figures of his administration, as at the time of writing this piece, contractors were almost done laying asphalt along the Alagbole-Ajuwon road in Ifo Local Government Area. The road has suffered decades of neglect like many others across the state before Governor Abiodun recently took up the task of easing the suffering of the residents of the area.
Similarly, as I write this piece, asphalt laying commenced on the completed sections of the Ota-Abeokuta expressway. Like many other successful projects of this administration, the road will soon be commissioned. This is another promising keeping act of Governor Abiodun. It followed his decision to take over the rehabilitation of this critical federal road as part of his commitment to ease the harrowing troubles encountered daily by users of the road.
Also, the Atan-Lsada-Agbara road in Ogun Central Senatorial District is progressing speedily toward being delivered by Governor Abiodun. Already, the binder asphalt layer of the right-hand side of the road stretching from the Lagos-Badagry Expressway/Agbara junction to Atan on the Ota-Idi Iroko road, has been completed. As promised by the governor, construction activities has now shifted to the left-hand side of the road.
In Ogun East, a visit to the ongoing Tai Solarin Way road project in Ikenne town showed that extensive work has been done with asphalt laying already in progress. The road project is exemplifies the plan of Governor Abiodun to make all parts of the state, urban and rural, accessible as part of his drive to industrialise and develop the Ogun state rapidly. The project is expected to be completed and commissioned soon.
Asphalt has also been successfully laid along Liberty road in Oru town located in Ijebu North Local Government Area. The road, given its location is a testament to the governor’s determination to improve the quality of life in Ogun state through the provision of durable and well-constructed roads that connects communities and boost local economic activities. Similarly, work is ongoing on the Iperu-Ode-Sapade road in Remo North Local Government Area of the state.
Work on the vital Ijeja-Igbore link bridge in Abeokuta South Local Government is also progressing impressively. Residents of the two communities are full of praises for the governor for remembering them and working hard to link Ijeja and Igbore with the bridge. During a recent visit to the project site, the governor promised that the entire Ijeja-Igbore road will also be rehabilitated by his administration.
The ongoing construction work on Toyin-Giwa-Hercules road in Ifo constituency 2, aimed at addressing age-long issues of accessibility and flooding, is another great feat of the Dapo Abiodun administration. The construction includes road expansion, drainages, as well as surface repairs to ensure more durable roadway for the residents of the many communities in the area. The project is expected to be completed on schedule.
Governor Abiodun also approved the reconstruction of the 8.17kilometres Magboro-Makogi road in Obafemi-Owode Local Government Area. The reconstruction project will also works to be done on the Magboro underbridge road. The project, when completed, will open up the area for more development
A couple of weeks ago, the governor commissioned the Ojodu Abiodun-Denro-Ishasi-Oluwakemi road in Ifo Local Government Area. This confirmed his unwavering dedication to leaving behind a more accessible and prosperous Ogun state. Determined to further reduce the road deficit in the area, Governor Abiodun openly announced that the Alagbole-Akute road and the Akute-Ijoko-Oke Aro road will soon be awarded for construction in phases. Commendations have been trailing these feats from within and outside the state.
Before now, Governor delivered the Ijebu-Ode-Epe road, another federal road. What is more? It is a road that evacuates people from the Lekki corridor in Lagos to other parts of Nigeria. As important as it is to both Ogun state and the country, that road was in total disuse prior to the coming of Governor Abiodun. According to the governor himself, he had to prioritise that road. Today, the road is a success story.
Similarly, Sagamu-Abeokuta road, the very road leading to the state capital, was in a terrible state for many years before the current administration came on board. The road became a death trap witnessing incessant and usually fatal road mishaps. People were dying. When he took over in 2019, Governor Abiodun prioritised the road, though it is another federal road, and turned it into what we all are proud of today.
Also onfirmed to have been completed by the Abiodun administration are; Owode-Siun road in Abeokuta, Owode-Ilaro road in Yewa South, Sagamu-Iperu-Ode road (Phase1), Ogijo road in Sagamu, Ijebu-Ode-Mojoda-Epe road, Abeokuta-Siun-Interchange road, Panseke-Adigbe road in Abeokuta, Molusi College road in Ijebu North, Ọba Erinwole road In Sagamu, Ikola-Navy-Osi Ota road in Ota, AIT-Raypower road in Ota.
Kemta-Somorin road in Abeokuta, Oru-Awa Ilaporu road in Ijebu North, Joju-Iyana Ota road, Fajol-American Junction-Gbonagun road, Olose Titun Vespa road in Ifo, Baruwa road in Sagamu, Koko-Alari road in Ipokia, Iboro-Imasayi-Ayetotro road (Phase 1), Okeola road in Imeko, Total-Itori township road, Igan-Ishanmurin-Odo Shikiti road in Ago Iwoye, Esure Road, Ijebu Imushin in Ijebu East, Sagamu-Ikenne road, Arepo-Journalist Estate road.
Lantoro-Elite-Idi Aba road, Ejinrin-Idowa-Awa-Ibefun-Itokin road, Awujale road(Awujale, Stadium, Oke Aje), Molipa-Asafa Isale-Ayegun-Ojofa road in Ijebu Ode, Asafa Oke-Fusigboye-Ojofa street road in Ijebu Ode, Olommore-Sanni road in Abeokuta, NNPC – MKO Stadium road down to Kuto bridge and IBB Boulevard in Abeokuta, Idarika street raod, Araromi Sokoto street road, Iregun-ItaOsukun-Ilisa road.
Ogbagba Street, Ijebu-Ode, Ilishan Market road, Ilishan, Erunwon-Atan road, Togburin – Agodo – Tigara, Molipa express way-Ibadan garage road in Ijebu Ode, Oyingbo-Olisa-Saka Ashiru-Ijebu Ode road, Ikenne-Ilishan-AgoIwoye road, Ijebu Ode Club road, Ososa road, Ajegunle road in Sagamu, GRA road in Ota, and many more as this list is not exhaustive.
In addition, not less than a hundred new road projects (five in each local government area), received approval from him recently.
Recognising and identifying with the rights of the citizens to demand for better living condition from the government, Governor Abiodun has promised to speed up the completion of the many ongoing road projects even in the New Year. According to him, the pace of the phenomenal strides being experienced in the state since his assumption of office is in fulfilment of his ‘Building Our Future Together Agenda’ and the ISEYA mantra of his government.
The good news is that the good people of Ogun are willing to patiently cooperate with their hard working governor as he strives, with renew vigour, to drastically reduce the infrastructure deficit he inherited.
Odufowokan is the Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to Governor Abiodun on Public Communications
