Prominent Ibadan indigene and community leader, Mogaji Abiola Oyeyemi, has commended the Oyo State Government under Governor Seyi Makinde for turning the long-delayed Ibadan Circular Road into a tangible reality.
In a Facebook post, Mogaji Oyeyemi described the project as a key component of the Ibadan Master Plan and a major step toward building a modern Ibadan that can stand alongside great cities of the world.
According to him, the Ibadan Circular Road has always been a difficult project to embark on because of the controversies and complexities surrounding land, funding, and implementation.
“Every administration that came before tried to make it happen,” Oyeyemi said. “But it was until Abiola Ajimobi, The Lion himself, that the foundation was actually laid and inaugurated. That was the turning point.”
He noted that while the Ajimobi administration started the groundwork, the current administration has moved beyond that stage.
“The current administration has moved beyond the groundwork. The Ibadan Circular Road is now an Ibadan reality in terms of infrastructural development,” he said. “I am always happy each time I pass through the Moniya section of the road. You can see that work is ongoing and the vision is becoming clear.”
Oyeyemi stressed that Ibadan needs to expand beyond its historic core to accommodate growth and modern development. He said the circular road and its corridor present an opportunity to build what he called “a new city.”
“We must build a new city, a city that reflects our future and our dream for a better Ibadan like Monaco,” he stated. “Our ancestors built Oje, Bere, Ojaba, Ojagbo, Isale Ijebu and Isale Osi. We have a responsibility to build a smart and modern city that co-exists together with our ancestors’ legacy in the city center. And I see the Ibadan Circular Road and its corridor as that new city.”
The Ibadan Circular Road project is designed as a 110-kilometer road that will run round the city, opening up new axes for housing, commerce, agriculture, and industry. Government officials say it is part of a broader plan to decongest the city center, improve connectivity, and attract investment to the outskirts of Ibadan.
Residents along the Moniya axis and other sections have in recent months reported increased construction activity, road grading, and compensation processes as work progresses.
Oyeyemi urged the government to sustain the momentum and ensure proper planning along the corridor so that development is orderly and beneficial to communities.
“The legacy we leave for the next generation must be infrastructure that works,” he added. “This road is more than asphalt. It is the future of Ibadan.”
The Ibadan Circular Road remains one of the flagship infrastructural projects of the Makinde administration, with sections already opened to traffic as construction continues in phases.
