The Oyo State government on Tuesday unveiled archival evidence that the acquisition of land for the Ibadan Circular Road project began long before Governor Seyi Makinde took office. The documents, published in the Nigerian Tribune on 19 November 2018, detail the state’s intention to secure several thousand hectares along the proposed corridor.
According to the newspapers archival releases by the Commsioner for Lands, Mr Akin Fumilayo Williams, cited by this news channel, the concept of a circular road was first articulated by the Olubadan, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, who envisioned a road encircling 11 local government areas and supporting industrial, commercial and residential development to boost the state’s economy. The 2018 publications list the acquisition of:
– Approximately 9,486 hectares of land on both sides of the Ibadan Circular Road corridor for the Ibadan City Master Plan.
– About 1,909 hectares adjoining the Lagos‑Ibadan Standard Gauge Rail line within Ibadan, also for the master plan.
– Roughly 300 hectares earmarked for the Ibadan Dry Port.
Governor Makinde, speaking at the commissioning of the Ibadan Central Park, said his administration is merely implementing the existing plan with minor modifications aimed at benefiting millions of Oyo residents. He added that the government will engage with affected landowners and stakeholders to resolve any outstanding issues.
The release comes amid growing protests that some analysts claim are being fueled by “desperate politicians” seeking to undermine Makinde’s projects. The governor’s office dismissed the criticism as unfounded, emphasizing that the land acquisitions were publicly announced and legally processed years ago.
The Oyo State government has made the full newspaper excerpts available to the public and pledged continued dialogue with all parties involved in the circular road initiative.
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