The complaint is familiar to many residents of Ogun State: bad roads, neglected infrastructure, and a government seemingly indifferent to their daily struggles. Critics and opposition voices routinely accuse successive administrations of abandoning road construction, leaving communities isolated and businesses constrained. Yet a closer look at verifiable facts reveals a sharply different reality, one of deliberate, large-scale infrastructure transformation that is redefining the state’s economic future.
For decades, Ogun grappled with weak road infrastructure despite its strategic location next to Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial nerve centre. When Governor Dapo Abiodun assumed office in 2019, he inherited a state rich in opportunity but hampered by underutilisation. The challenge was clear: how could Ogun convert its proximity to Lagos into a tangible economic advantage rather than a missed opportunity?
What distinguished the governor’s response is not only vision, but scale. In just over six years, his administration has constructed more than 1,600 kilometres of roads across the state, a figure widely believed to exceed the combined output of previous administrations. From urban commercial hubs to long-neglected rural communities, the physical evidence is unmistakable.
A flagship example is the 100-kilometre Sagamu Interchange-Papalanto+Obelle Road, constructed with reinforced concrete under the Federal Government’s Tax Credit Scheme in partnership with the Dangote Group. This east-west corridor has reconfigured trade logistics across southwestern Nigeria. Manufacturers and warehouse operators now enjoy faster, smoother access to Lagos ports, cutting travel time, reducing logistics costs, and improving regional competitiveness.
The economic logic is compelling. Every hour saved on the road translates into lower operating costs. For an industrialising state like Ogun, efficient transport networks mean quicker deliveries, reduced spoilage, improved profit margins, and increased investor confidence. Businesses seeking proximity to Lagos without its congestion and exorbitant real estate costs-are finding Ogun increasingly attractive.
Beyond highways, the transformation reaches city streets. In Ijebu Ode, once synonymous with pothole-ridden roads, modern infrastructure has revitalised local commerce. Traders report increased customer traffic, improved mobility, and a more conducive business environment. This underscores an administration committed not to symbolic projects, but to broad-based infrastructure renewal.
Equally telling is the government’s responsiveness. During a recent visit to Imeko-Afon for the commissioning of the township road first built in 1959, Abiodun personally encountered the poor state of the Olorunda-Imeko Road. On the spot, he directed the Commissioner for Works to commence estimates and initiate the rehabilitation process. It was a practical demonstration of leadership that diagnoses problems and acts decisively.
Crucially, the administration’s rural road strategy goes beyond connectivity: it is a deliberate food security intervention. Roads linking communities such as Iperu–Ilishan, Ode–Sapade, and the 12.4-kilometre Ilisan-Ilara-Akaka-Ode-Remo corridor serve as economic lifelines. By enabling farmers to move produce swiftly to markets, these roads reduce post-harvest losses, stabilise food supply, and help moderate food prices. In an era of rising food inflation, this approach ensures affordability, availability, and sustainability-proving that road infrastructure is as much about feeding people as it is about moving goods.
Strategic thinking is further evident in the Laderin-Professor Wole Soyinka Train Station Road, which directly links Abeokuta to the Lagos-bound rail network. By integrating road and rail transport, the administration has strengthened Ogun’s role within a growing regional mobility and logistics system.
Attention is now turning to critical boundary corridors with Lagos. Strategic federal roads in Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government and state roads in Agbado, Ifo Local Government are expected to receive renewed focus. These border communities are economic gateways, and upgrading them will complete the seamless Ogun-Lagos integration that investors seek. From Arepo and Akute to Abeokuta-Sagamu and Ijebu-Epe, the pattern is consistent: infrastructure as economic policy.
The governor understands that geography alone does not confer advantage, connectivity does. With over 1,600 kilometres of roads delivered and more underway, the state is positioning itself as Nigeria’s emerging industrial and logistics hub.
This road revolution is not merely about asphalt and concrete. It is about unlocking productivity, ensuring food security, attracting investment, and finally translating Ogun’s long-standing promise into shared prosperity.
