October 31, Akure, Ondo State – Minister of Works David Umahi made an ambitious declaration that he would ensure all federal roads across the country were motorable before Christmas Day.
“We will conclude the design for Ondo State within November and inaugurate it,” Umahi said.
“We have directed all federal road controllers to provide details of roads in their domain, whether awarded or not so that by this Christmas, all federal highways will be motorable.”
At the time of Umahi’s statement, his ministry had only spent about a quarter (25.75%) of its above N2 trillion budget — approximately N630 billion. The underperformance immediately cast doubts on the feasibility of his pledge, especially for Nigerians with an understanding of fiscal processes.
FIJ decided to wait beyond the minister’s self-imposed deadline, and on Thursday, it was clear that not all federal roads were motorable, particularly in the Southwest.
Itanla-Ile-Oluji-Ipetu Road
The Itanla-Ile-Oluji-Ipetu expressway, a key route connecting Ondo City to agrarian communities and to Osun State, remained deplorable. This was especially true for the part between Onipanu and Ipetu border communities. Deep potholes and deteriorated sections made the road something far from motorable, despite budgetary allocations since 2022.
Dangerous sections of the Ondo road Ipetu Expressway. Photo credit: Marvellous Akinmoyeje
Dangerous sections of the Ondo road Ipetu Expressway. Photo Credit: Marvellous Akinmoyeje/FIJ
Dangerous sections of the Ondo road Ipetu Expressway. Photo credit: Marvellous Akinmoyeje
Dangerous sections of the Ondo road Ipetu Expressway. Photo credit: Marvellous Akinmoyeje
Under project code ERGP12173409, the road was allocated N63.47 million in 2022 and N50 million in 2023 for “special repairs”. The project is categorised as “Not Started”, according to official records.
This inaction has turned the route into a hotspot for criminals, who exploit its poor condition to target travellers.
Ife-Ilesa Expressway
FIJ also confirmed that Ife-Ilesa Expressway, although fairly motorable, didn’t enjoy the benefit of repair that was extended to roads in Oyo for instance. The expressway is part of the larger section that leads to Akure on one end and extends to Ibadan on the other end.
On the Ife-Ilesa axis, the road had some difficult patches and failing sections that required drivers to be extra careful while driving. Like all other federal roads, there have been promises, attempts at repairs and emergency repairs on the road
In 2023, former minister Babatunde Fashola announced a N79 billion reconstruction project for the road, expected to take three years. Maintenance allocations totalling N90.8 million for 2023 under project code ERGP12189484 also showed no signs of utilisation.
Reports of emergency repairs in 2021 have done little to address recurring issues. Earlier in 2024, The Punch highlighted the road’s deadly toll on travellers and its devastating economic impact on nearby communities.
Oyo’s Last-Minute Repairs
In what appeared to be a race against time, the Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA) embarked on emergency repairs in parts of Oyo State on December 24. The repairs targeted sections in Ogbomoso, Akinyele and Oluyole local government areas.
Despite this last-ditch effort, key routes remained perilous. Travellers like Idowu Ajibola, a resident of Oyo, said that the Ogbomoso-Oyo Expressway was still riddled with dangerous sections.
Abimbola Olalekan (pseudonym), a student of Ladoke Akintola University, also confirmed that the road remained deadly, with accidents occurring recently.
The Ogbomoso-Oyo Road has long been a flashpoint for tragedy. In September, five people died and three others were injured in a head-on collision on the old road.
A month later, another crash involving a chemical-laden vehicle claimed four lives.
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