Works Minister Bello Goronyo inspects Ifaki-Oye-Ilupeju axis, promises urgent action to restore movement along key South-West–North corridor.
Residents, motorists, transporters and commuters along the Ifaki axis of Ekiti State have received renewed hope following a fresh Federal Government intervention to address the deteriorated condition of the road.
The Minister of State for Works, Bello Goronyo, inspected the troubled section and assured road users that the Federal Government would take steps to restore access and improve movement along the route.
The road’s condition had disrupted transportation and commercial activities, with hundreds of loaded trailers reportedly stranded for days around the Oye-Ilupeju axis. The gridlock also threatened the movement of goods between the South-West and northern parts of the country.
Goronyo described the route as a critical economic corridor connecting the South-West with other parts of Nigeria and facilitating the movement of people, agricultural produce and other goods.
He disclosed that the road contract was awarded in 2025 and that the contractor had already been mobilised to commence work. However, he acknowledged that funding challenges may have slowed construction.
The minister said the Federal Government would review the contractor’s mobilisation to ensure that work resumes effectively at the site.
“We want to assure Nigerians, particularly the people that are plying this road, that this is a very important road and it is connecting the South-West to the northern part of this country,” Goronyo said.
He added that President Bola Tinubu had directed the Works Ministry to ensure that no major road in the country remained cut off.
“The directive of Mr. President is that we should ensure that no road is cut in this country,” he said.
The worsening condition of the road had previously left truck drivers stranded for prolonged periods. One driver, Akanda James Taiwo, said he had spent about 48 hours trapped on the route, while another driver, Muhammed Hammed, lamented the hardship faced by transport workers.
Hammed also accused governments of often remembering truck drivers and other transport workers mainly when their support is needed during elections.
The Federal Government’s latest intervention is expected to ease the gridlock and restore the road’s role as an important link for transportation and economic activities between the South-West and northern Nigeria.