NIGERIA

Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has commissioned the first phase of the 3.5-kilometre Ila-Orangun township dual carriageway, describing the project as a major boost to commerce, mobility and safety in the ancient town.

The Governor unveiled the completed phase on Thursday, July 23, 2026, with his administration saying the road forms part of broader efforts to expand infrastructure and drive socio-economic development across the State.

In a statement issued by his spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, and obtained in Osogbo on Friday, Adeleke said the dual carriageway would improve access to key locations, attract investment and ease the movement of agricultural produce in and around Ila-Orangun.

He said the project, alongside other township roads, markets and healthcare facilities completed by his administration, reflected his Government’s commitment to ensuring that development reaches rural communities across Osun State.

“The dual carriageway is more than a road; it is a lifeline for commerce, mobility and safety for the people. This project, alongside other township roads, markets and health facilities, shows that this administration believes development must reach the grassroots.

“Ila is a historic town; it is a centre of learning, culture and commerce.

“With this dualised road, we are opening Ila to more investment, easier movement of farm produce and better access to schools, hospitals and the palace.

“We also know that this road connects Ila to other towns; that is why we are also working on intercity roads to ensure Ila is not left behind in the Osun infrastructure agenda.

“Apart from this dual carriageway, my administration has equally completed over seven kilometres of intracity roads in Ila-Orangun,” Adeleke said.

Earlier, the Commissioner for Special Duties, Dr. Tokunbo Salam, said the Governor’s administration had recorded significant achievements in infrastructure development that would remain part of Osun State’s history.

Salam noted that the first phase of the road was completed within the 12-month deadline set by the Governor.

“Your Excellency, you will recall that 12 months and two days ago, you were here to flag off this road and gave us a mandate at the Ministry of Works and Infrastructure to complete it within 12 months, and today we are here for its commissioning.

“Your Excellency, I believe people are counting because this is one of several projects, and they are still counting. Your era is a landmark era and one that will be hard to forget in the history of Osun State.

“What we have commissioned today never happened in many other places, and history will never forget. What is happening is urban renewal, and this is the first phase of the road. The second phase will be announced by His Excellency, and I know that by the time he returns for his second term, total transformation will come to Ila,” he said.

The Director of Research and Planning in the Ministry of Works and Infrastructure, Olalekan Salami, said the Governor had approved the construction of a 10-kilometre dual carriageway to be completed in three phases.

According to him, the first and second phases will each cover 3.5 kilometres, while the final phase will span three kilometres.

“Your Excellency, you approved that the dualisation of the Ila road should be 10 kilometres in length and phased into three, and you gave us a mandate that the project be delivered within 12 months.

“Exactly on July 21, 2025, we were here to flag off this road, and today, July 23, 2026, we are here for the commissioning of the first phase, which is 3.5 kilometres.

“It is the intention of the Governor that this road will lead to the Federal University of Health Sciences. The first phase of 3.5 kilometres has been completed within 12 months, another 3.5 kilometres will be completed within the next 12 months, while the final three kilometres will complete the 10-kilometre dual carriageway,” he said.

Adeleke had flagged off the construction of the first Ila-Orangun dual carriageway in July 2025.

At the ceremony, the Governor said his administration had completed the reconstruction, rehabilitation and renovation of more than 175 kilometres of roads across Osun State as part of broader efforts to upgrade the State’s transport infrastructure.