Oyo State Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Dotun Oyelade, has revealed that the ongoing Ibadan circular road project will greatly enhance the state’s accessibility to road networks across Nigeria. In a statement issued on Saturday, Oyelade explained that the 110-kilometer circular road, once completed, would connect Oyo State with major road networks nationwide. He noted that the bridges and interchanges on the South-West segment of the project had already been completed, with full delivery expected within 24 months.
Oyelade commended Governor Seyi Makinde for his efforts in his second term, highlighting that the governor had delivered more development than in his first term. “Governor Makinde has done more for the people of the state in his second term than in his first, allaying the fears people usually have about second-term governors,” he stated. The commissioner pointed to the 190.82 kilometers of road constructed in just 17 months of the second term, compared to 144.37 kilometers in the first four years, as evidence of the administration’s focus on infrastructure development.
In addition to road infrastructure, Oyelade highlighted other achievements in employment. He disclosed that 7,000 new primary school teachers will receive their employment letters by the end of October, after 46,000 candidates sat for a computer-based test. “The 7,000 new teachers are more than the 5,000 secondary school teachers employed in the first term,” Oyelade said. He also mentioned that 791 new recruits had been hired into the state civil service, bringing the total number of new hires to 1,592, thus breaking the state’s previous employment records.
The commissioner also pointed to Makinde’s commitment to improving public service, noting that 692 Education Officers, 60 Environmental Health Officers, 19 Lands Officers, and 30 lawyers had already been recruited into the state’s civil service. Oyelade’s remarks come in the wake of Makinde’s leadership retreat in early October, where the governor assured top officials that his second term would witness even more accelerated growth and people-friendly policies.
Oyelade also touched on developments in the aviation sector, highlighting that the Ibadan Airport, now renamed Samuel Ladoke Akintola Airport, has been upgraded to international status. “This will position Oyo State as the commercial hub of the Southwest,” he declared, signaling the importance of the airport’s expanded role in regional economic development.
Further cementing the state’s economic growth, the commissioner discussed Governor Makinde’s agribusiness initiative at the Fasola Industrial Estate, which spans 1,100 hectares and is now home to 10 industries. This estate, according to Oyelade, has become a destination for both local and international private investors, reinforcing Oyo State’s status as a key player in the Southwest’s industrial sector.
