₦296bn Ijebu-Ode–Ibadan reconstruction begins as Escravos Channel gets fresh dredging push
The Federal Government is pushing a new infrastructure agenda that seeks to connect roads, ports and trade corridors in ways that could reshape movement of goods across southern Nigeria.
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At the centre of the latest effort is the 56.5-kilometre Ibadan–Ijebu-Ode highway, whose reconstruction and dualisation was formally flagged off by President Bola Tinubu in Oyo State.
The project is valued at approximately ₦296 billion and is being presented by the Federal Government as more than a road construction project.
It is part of a broader attempt to strengthen economic integration across the South-West and improve the movement of people, agricultural products and manufactured goods.
President Tinubu said the project would support regional trade and infrastructure-led development.
Why the road matters
The Ibadan–Ijebu-Ode corridor links Oyo and Ogun states and provides an important connection towards Lagos and the country’s major commercial gateways.
For traders and transport operators, the condition of the road has long translated into higher transportation costs, delays and vehicle maintenance expenses.
A properly reconstructed dual carriageway could reduce journey times and improve the movement of agricultural products from the interior towards major markets and ports.
But the real test will be whether the project is completed within its promised timeline and maintained afterwards.
Nigeria has repeatedly demonstrated that building infrastructure is only half the problem; maintaining it is the other half.
Warri port gets another lifeline
At the maritime end of the government’s infrastructure strategy, the Nigerian Ports Authority has awarded a contract for remedial dredging and reconstruction works around the Escravos Channel serving Warri Port.
The importance of the project is difficult to overstate for Delta State and the wider Niger Delta.
The channel has suffered from heavy siltation, reducing navigational depth and making it difficult for larger vessels to access the port.
Earlier assessments indicated that the channel’s depth had fallen significantly in some areas, forcing vessels to operate under difficult conditions and increasing the risk of running aground.
The bigger economic question
Nigeria’s dependence on Lagos ports has created congestion and placed enormous pressure on transportation infrastructure.
Reviving Warri and other eastern and southern ports could distribute maritime traffic more efficiently.
It could also create jobs and stimulate logistics, warehousing, manufacturing and other businesses around the ports.
The House of Representatives had previously raised concerns about the condition of the Escravos channel, noting its implications for Warri, Koko and Sapele ports and the wider economy.
The Federal Government’s current push therefore carries significance beyond Delta State.
If successful, it could help Nigeria move towards a multi-port economy rather than one overwhelmingly dependent on Lagos.
From roads to ports
The strategic idea is clear: improve the road that moves goods, improve the port that receives them, and reduce the cost of moving products across the country.
For ordinary Nigerians, the ultimate measure will be simple: Will better infrastructure translate into cheaper transport, lower logistics costs, more jobs and more affordable goods?
That is where the infrastructure revolution will meet the everyday economy.
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