Nigerian Government Bridging Road Infrastructure Needs in Oyo- Minister 

The Minister of Works and Housing, Mr Raji Fashola, has said the Federal Government is immensely bridging the road infrastructure needs of Oyo State in South-West Nigeria.

Fashola made this known, on Tuesday, in Ibadan, while handing over the rehabilitated internal roads at the National Centre for Genetic and Biotechnology (NACGRAB), Ibadan, to the management of the center.

The Minister, who was represented at the event by the Federal Controller of Works in Oyo State, Mr Kayode Ibrahim, noted that the state was benefitting heavily from all road projects since the administration in the country came on board, saying the current administration is steadily funding its road projects across the country, Oyo State inclusive.

He stated: “A lot of roads across Oyo State has received attention, while intervention works are ongoing on other roads. For instance, Lagos – Ibadan; Ibadan -Ife – Ilesa; Ibadan – Oyo; Oyo – Ogbomoso, are among the ongoing road projects in the state.

“On Oyo – Ogbomoso Road, Reynolds Construction Company (RCC) handling the project is working everyday and hopefully, the project will be completed before the end of the year because, all obstacles that can delay the job has been removed, funds have been released and work is ongoing,” Fashola disclosed.

He asserted that the Iseyin – Okeho Road; Ago-Are – Sepeteri Road; Basi – Ajenrege Road; Owotoro – Ofiki Road; Otte – Ogbomoso and Idiayunre – Ogunmakin Road, among many others, had received the Federal Government intervention.

On road intervention in tertiary institutions, the minister affirmed that the quality of education would be impacted and improved by the quality of infrastructure on the ground at such institutions, revealing that the Federal Government had completed and handed over 64 internal road projects in various federal tertiary institutions in the country, as at January, 2023.

Fashola asserted that another 38 of such projects were at various stages of completion across the country, saying the restoration of some defective roads to good condition, had made students of the benefiting institutions to express renewed enthusiasm with regards to attending classes.

The Minister admonished NACGRAB management and staff to put the rehabilitated 0.75 kilometre road into good use.

The Acting Director, NACGRAB, Tony Okere, thanked the Federal Government, the Minister of Works and Housing, the Controller of Works and the Contractor, who carried out the project within the stipulated time, saying access road to the Animal Genetic Resources and Field had worsened over the years due to the gully erosion in the place.

Okere stated: “Transporting farm equipment, livestock, their feeds, mobility of staff and important guests of the center has been a nightmare. With the rehabilitation of the road, through the intervention of the Ministry of Works, this has become a thing of the past.”

The director, however, urged the Federal Government to consider the center on other deplorable roads and damaged culverts within the complex.

A cross section of NACGRAB staff commended the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration for the intervention.

A staff of NACGRAB, Dr Shakiru Kazeem, said that the center internal road was in deplorable condition before the intervention, noting that the rehabilitated road would enhance motivation of staff toward their daily jobs.

On his part, another staff, Dr Ibidun Adetiloye, urged the Federal Government to keep on assisting the centre in fixing other roads still in bad shape.