Ogun residents lament as bad road cripples businesses

Residents of communities along the Agbado-Ijoko Road in the Ifo Local Government Area of Ogun State have lamented the deplorable condition of the road, saying it has crippled businesses, disrupted transportation and made movement difficult in the area.

The residents, who spoke with our correspondents during a visit to the communities, said the road had remained in a poor state for several years, leaving motorists and commuters struggling to access their homes and workplaces.

PUNCH Metro had reported in June 2026 that residents of Agbado, Abule-Ijoko, Itoki, Ope-Ilu and other adjoining communities had decried the condition of roads in the area, saying the situation had persisted for more than 15 years.

The report noted that the stretch connecting Agbado Oja to Abule-Ijoko, covering about 13 kilometres, had collapsed, with some sections barely motorable and others completely impassable.

During a recent visit to the communities, our correspondents observed that some sections of the road had been abandoned, with vehicles no longer able to use the affected portions.

Some parts of the road were covered in mud and riddled with potholes, while stagnant floodwater had taken over sections of the route. Some vehicles were seen stuck in the muddy portions as motorists struggled to navigate the pothole-riddled sections.

The condition of the road had also forced motorists and residents to seek alternative routes through adjoining streets, which residents said were also in poor condition.

Speaking with our correspondents, a resident of Itoki, Jamiu Raimi, who said he had lived in the community for 20 years, recalled that the road was previously passable, noting that a journey from his residence to Agbado used to take about 10 minutes.

Raimi, who works in Ojota, said the journey now took more than an hour, adding that the scarcity of buses had forced residents to rely on motorcycles.

He said, “When I started staying in Itoki, the road was good, but now the road is nothing to write about. People’s cars are getting spoilt and we don’t see buses again. We now use motorcycles, but it is not safe because of the condition of the road.

“Before, it took about 10 minutes to get to Agbado from where I stay, but now it can take more than one hour. Whenever it rains, it becomes difficult to get buses to take us to our destinations.”

Raimi added that the transportation difficulties had affected his movement to and from work, saying he sometimes returned home only twice a week because of the difficulty of getting transportation after work.

He alleged that the government had previously brought sand to the road in an attempt to improve its condition, but said the road deteriorated further after rainfall.

The resident, who is also a landlord, said the situation had affected the rental market, claiming that some residents were leaving the community while prospective tenants were reluctant to rent houses in the area.

He appealed to the government to rehabilitate the road, saying the rising cost of transportation had become difficult for residents to bear.

Also speaking, a trader in Rafco, Mrs Modupe Olaniran, who said she had lived in Adebimpe for 10 years, said the road had negatively affected her business and those of other traders in the area.

Olaniran said she now spent more on transporting her goods, adding that the additional cost had affected her business.

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She said, “The road has been bad for more than 10 years. When I want to take my goods to sell, I spend more on transportation because of the condition of the road, and this has really affected my business.

“People are also selling their houses because of the bad road. The road has affected many businesses in the area.”

Olaniran also raised concerns about Idiroko Road, which she said had been abandoned for a long time and had become waterlogged, making it difficult for vehicles and buses to use the route.

She added that travelling through the road regularly caused her body pains, saying the experience had become physically exhausting.

Another resident, Alubarika Yinka, a commercial vehicle operator who lives in Opeilu along the Agbado-Ijoko Road, said the road had been in poor condition for a long time.

Yinka said buses had stopped using some sections of the road because of its condition, adding that vehicles that attempted to use the route often broke down.

According to him, motorists and residents had resorted to using adjoining streets to reach their destinations, but the alternative routes were also in poor condition.

He said some residents who could no longer drive their vehicles to their homes had resorted to parking them around the Agbado Bus Stop, a situation he described as unsafe.

Also speaking, Tayo Odusanya said the condition of the road had worsened during the rainy season, adding that many commercial vehicle operators were spending more money repairing their vehicles.

Odusanya said the situation had also affected businesses in the area, noting that heavy-duty vehicles could no longer access some sections of the road to deliver goods.

He said, “Whenever it rains, vehicles cannot pass through the normal road. People now use the streets as alternative routes, and this has affected movement.

“Businesses have also dropped because heavy-duty vehicles cannot come to deliver goods. People cannot even visit some residents because cars cannot pass through the road.”

Odusanya further alleged that some people collecting between N100 and N200 from motorists had taken advantage of the alternative routes being used by drivers.

When contacted, the Ogun State Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Ade Akinsanya, said the Akute-Agbado section of the road was undergoing reconstruction, while other sections would be rehabilitated subsequently.

Akinsanya said the project was expected to be completed before December, weather permitting, adding that the second layer of asphalt had commenced from the Akute end.

He said, “The Akute-Agbado section is undergoing reconstruction, and other sections will be rehabilitated later.

“The completion of the project is dependent on rainfall, but it will be achieved before December. The second layer of asphalt has already commenced from the Akute end.”