By Daniel Oluwatobiloba Popoola
President Bola Tinubu has flagged off the construction of the Osogbo-Iwo-Ibadan Road and the reconstruction of the Gbongan-Osogbo Road in Osun State, valued at a combined ₦216.65 billion, directing contractors to deliver quality work within stipulated timelines.
The President, represented at the flag-off ceremony in Osogbo on Thursday, 6 August, 2026 by the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, said his administration would ensure the projects deliver value for money and improve connectivity across the region.
The ceremony was attended by Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo; Minister of Works, Dave Umahi; Osun State All Progressives Congress governorship candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, among other dignitaries.
Tinubu explained that the Gbongan-Osogbo Road project, covering about 44 kilometres, would involve upgrading failed sections of the existing carriageway and reconstructing deteriorated dualised sections. According to him, the project, which links Osogbo with communities including Owode-Ede, Akoda-Ede, Sekona, Oogi, Ode-Omu and Gbongan, was awarded to Messrs Trucrete Solutions Limited at ₦101.8 billion, with a 24-month completion period.
He also announced that the approximately 82-kilometre Osogbo-Iwo-Ibadan Road, the shortest route between Osogbo and Ibadan, passing through key agricultural areas in Osun and Oyo States, had been awarded to Messrs Peculiar Concerns Limited at ₦114.85 billion, with an expected 24-month completion timeline.
Charging contractors to deliver on both projects, the President stressed that his administration would enforce quality standards, transparency and value for money.
“Let me assure you, this administration will enforce quality standards, transparency, and value for money. Every Naira must count. Every milestone must be met. And every community must feel the benefit,” he said.
He urged contractors and engineers to work with excellence and speed, while calling on state and local partners to collaborate as one team.
“To our contractors and engineers, deliver with excellence and speed. To our state and local partners, let us work as one team. To our citizens, your patience and support will guide this success. Together, we will build not just a road, but trust, not just a route, but a future. May this project stand as a testament to what we can achieve when purpose meets action,” he said.
Beyond the two Osun projects, Tinubu urged contractors to engage young people in the execution of the works, providing them opportunities to gain practical skills and experience.
The President also gave updates on other ongoing federal road projects, including the Ibadan-Ife-Ilesha rehabilitation and the dualisation of the Ilesha-Akure-Owo-Benin Road, progressing at different stages.
On the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, he disclosed that Section 1 in Lagos had been substantially completed, while other sections across Ogun, Akwa Ibom and Cross River states were at various stages.
He said work on the Sokoto-Badagry Road was ongoing across several sections, with completion levels ranging from 18 to 60 per cent. For the Trans-Sahara trade route, spanning Calabar through Ebonyi, Benue, Kogi and Nasarawa to Abuja, he said some sections had commenced while others were undergoing design and mobilisation.
Speaking at the event, the Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Abdulrosheed Akanbi, expressed support for Tinubu’s administration and urged voters to back his re-election bid in 2027, adding that other presidential candidates would not receive his backing.
Also speaking, Governor Okpebholo and Umahi called on Osun residents to support the ruling party in the forthcoming governorship election, describing it as a way of appreciating the President’s intervention in the state.
The Osogbo-Iwo-Ibadan and Gbongan-Osogbo road projects form part of the Federal Government’s broader infrastructure programme aimed at improving road networks, easing transportation challenges and strengthening economic activities across states, and are expected to enhance the movement of goods and people while improving connectivity between Osun, Oyo and neighbouring regions.
