FG Flags Off Osun–Oyo Highway Reconstruction, Says Borrowing Is Funding Nigeria's Future

"The road projects would improve connectivity, stimulate commerce, create jobs and restore public confidence in government." Oyetola

.... Says "We are not just turning soil; we are turning a page of opportunities and restoring confidence." 

The Federal Government on Friday flagged off the reconstruction of the Osogbo–Akoda–Gbangan and Osogbo–Iwo–Ibadan highways, declaring that the projects underscore President Bola Tinubu's commitment to infrastructure renewal and economic growth under the Renewed Hope Agenda.

Speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony in Osogbo, Osun State, the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, who represented President Bola Tinubu, said the road projects would improve connectivity, stimulate commerce, create jobs and restore public confidence in government.

"We are not just turning soil; we are turning a page of opportunities and restoring confidence," Oyetola said, describing the roads as critical infrastructure that would boost socio-economic activities across Osun and Oyo states.

He said the reconstruction would involve the use of rigid concrete pavement, including wet-crushed stone base, cement-stabilised base course and continuously reinforced concrete pavement designed to ensure durability and reduce maintenance costs.

The Minister of Works, David Umahi, said the projects reflect the President's determination to connect communities with strategic road infrastructure that supports trade, agriculture, security and national development.

Umahi defended the Federal Government's borrowing strategy, saying the loans were being channelled into productive investments rather than consumption.

"For those questioning government borrowing, this is the answer. The funds are being invested to revive and complete strategic road projects that have remained abandoned for decades," he said.

According to him, the roads will reduce travel time, lower vehicle operating costs, improve the movement of agricultural produce and strengthen economic activities in the South-West.

He assured residents of Osun and Oyo states that the projects would be delivered within the contractual timeline while appealing to host communities and traditional institutions to cooperate with contractors for seamless execution.

Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Works, Rafiu Adeladan, described the projects as another milestone in the administration's infrastructure drive, noting that the roads would serve as major socio-economic corridors.

Also speaking, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Works, Senator Allwell Onyesoh, and Chairman of the House Committee on Works, Hon. Akin Alabi, pledged the National Assembly's continued support through adequate budgetary provisions and legislative oversight.

Traditional rulers, including the Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Abdulrasheed Adewale Akanbi, and the Alapomu of Apomu, Oba Kayode Adenekan Afolabi, commended the Federal Government for reviving the long-neglected roads, describing the projects as transformational for the region.

Contractors handling the projects, Trucrete Solutions Limited and Peculiar Ultimate Concerns Limited, assured the Federal Government that the highways would be completed in line with approved specifications and timelines.