FG to Dualise Ibadan-Ijebu Ode Road as Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Targets Security, Trade
FG to Dualise Ibadan-Ijebu Ode Road as Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Targets Security, Trade
By Akin Alade
The Federal Government has taken a major step towards transforming the long-troubled Ibadan-Ijebu Ode Road, with plans to commence its dualisation in what could become one of the most consequential road infrastructure projects linking Oyo and Ogun states.
The project, approved by the Federal Executive Council and awarded to JRB Construction Limited, is expected to improve connectivity, ease the movement of people and goods and stimulate economic activities along the strategic South-West corridor. The official flag-off is scheduled for Monday, August 24, 2026, at Legacy Estate along the Idi Ayunre axis in Ibadan.
For motorists who have endured years of deteriorating sections of the highway, the announcement offers fresh hope that a road which has served generations of travellers will finally receive the large-scale transformation required to meet modern transportation and security demands.
Umahi: Project Part of Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda
Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, disclosed details of the project in an invitation dated August 20 and addressed to the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Adewolu Ladoja.
According to Umahi, the dualisation forms part of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, particularly the administration’s drive to improve road infrastructure, enhance travelling conditions and use transportation networks to stimulate sustainable economic growth.
The project is particularly significant because the Ibadan-Ijebu Ode corridor connects communities across Oyo and Ogun states while providing an important route for travellers and businesses moving towards the Lagos-Ogun economic axis.
For farmers, traders and businesses operating along the corridor, a modern dual carriageway could reduce travel times, improve the transportation of agricultural produce and strengthen commercial links between communities in both states.
From Historic Highway to Years of Deterioration
The Ibadan-Ijebu Ode highway has a long history in the development of the old Western Region. Reports trace the road’s origins to the era of Chief Obafemi Awolowo’s government, making it a transport corridor that has served the South-West for several decades.
But its condition deteriorated significantly over the years. A 2023 assessment of the highway described extensive potholes and badly damaged portions, while reporting that criminals were exploiting the poor condition of the road to attack motorists.
The implications went beyond uncomfortable journeys.
A badly deteriorated highway forces vehicles to slow down at damaged portions, potentially leaving motorists more vulnerable, particularly at night or in isolated areas.
Kidnapping Incidents Increased Security Concerns
Security concerns along the corridor have been documented repeatedly.
In April 2026, Oyo State Police said officers foiled an attempted kidnapping at Onigambari on the Mamu/Ijebu-Ode Road after suspected attackers targeted vehicles carrying passengers returning from a social event in Ibadan.
Another reported incident occurred in May when gunmen allegedly abducted two travellers around the Idi Ayunre axis. Police subsequently said investigations had commenced and surveillance and patrols were being intensified.
Security agencies have responded to previous incidents by strengthening deployments. Following abductions on the axis in 2024, the Oyo State Police Command announced a review of the area’s security architecture and increased operational and tactical assets.
These developments underline why rehabilitating and dualising the highway should be viewed not simply as a construction project but as part of a broader strategy for safer mobility.
Dualisation Could Help Transform Security on the Corridor
A modern dual carriageway cannot by itself eliminate kidnapping or armed robbery. Effective policing, intelligence gathering, surveillance and rapid emergency response will remain essential.
However, improved road infrastructure can complement those security measures.
Better road surfaces can reduce unnecessary slowing at dangerous sections, while improved visibility, shoulders, intersections and traffic flow can make patrol and emergency response operations more effective.
The dualisation therefore provides an opportunity for the Federal Government and the governments of Oyo and Ogun states to combine road construction with a comprehensive highway security architecture.
Such an approach could include strategically positioned patrol teams, emergency response points, adequate lighting around major settlements and junctions, surveillance technology and stronger cooperation between security commands on both sides of the state boundary.
Economic Benefits Could Extend Beyond Oyo and Ogun
The economic importance of the project could ultimately prove as significant as its security benefits.
Ibadan remains one of Nigeria’s largest commercial centres, while Ogun State serves as a major industrial and logistics gateway to Lagos and other parts of the South-West.
The Federal Government says the upgraded corridor is expected to improve the movement of people, agricultural produce, goods and services between the two states.
Communities along the highway could consequently benefit from increased commercial activities, easier transportation and potential new investments.
Farmers could move produce more efficiently to urban markets. Transport operators could benefit from reduced vehicle damage associated with poor roads. Businesses could also gain from more predictable journey times.
Another Test for Renewed Hope Infrastructure Programme
The announcement will inevitably raise expectations among residents and motorists who have waited years for a permanent solution to the condition of the highway.
For the Tinubu administration, therefore, the real measure of success will go beyond Monday’s flag-off ceremony.
Attention will shift towards the quality of construction, pace of work, adherence to specifications and whether the project is delivered within a reasonable timeframe.
The decision to dualise the Ibadan-Ijebu Ode Road nevertheless represents a potentially significant dividend of democracy for communities in Oyo and Ogun states.
After decades of service and years in which deteriorating conditions and insecurity created anxiety for motorists, the historic highway is being positioned for a new chapter.
If properly executed and accompanied by sustained security measures, the project could turn a corridor associated in recent years with bad roads and criminal attacks into a safer and more productive economic highway — delivering tangible benefits of the Renewed Hope Agenda to motorists, traders, farmers and communities across the two states.
