Governor approves multi billion naira projects amid rising calls for a 2027 presidential bid
By Joy Onu
Despite entering the final stretch of his second term, Governor Seyi Makinde is not easing off the throttle. Instead, his administration is ramping up major capital projects across Oyo State in what appears to be a determined sprint to the finish line.
Commissioner for Information, Prince Dotun Oyelade, disclosed after the latest Executive Council meeting that the government is “intensifying efforts” to ensure all zones benefit from ongoing development, insisting the administration is not slowing down as 2027 approaches.
Among the latest approvals is the reconstruction of the 45.3-kilometre Saki–Ogboro–Igboho road valued at ₦18.14 billion, following extensive flood damage. The Ogbooro–Agbonle road was also added to support the movement of agricultural produce across Oke Ogun.
Oyelade listed several other ongoing interventions in the region including the Igboho–Kishi 30km road, the 23km Okaka–Igbojaye corridor, and the Kunle Afolayan Film Village in Komu, alongside the long delayed Kishi Fire Station, which will now be completed at a cost of ₦141.86 million.
Security infrastructure also received attention, with the Otu and Igbeti airstrips now designated to accommodate two new state aircraft. The state has additionally moved the MOPOL mobile police base to Ago Are, strengthening operations against banditry and cross-border security threats.
The council further approved the ₦15.12 billion dualisation of the Ariyo–Amuloko–Odeyale junction, a strategic gateway that links Oyo to Ogun State via Dagbolu. Another ₦16.20 billion was earmarked for the resurfacing of major roads in Old and New Bodija. A special intervention fund of ₦6.8 billion was set aside for the Iwo Road–Olodo Bridge–Elesin Godogbo–Lalupon–Iyana Ofa project, taking the revised total cost to ₦14.54 billion pending an advanced payment guarantee. Oyelade noted that the Makinde administration has already invested more than ₦1 trillion in infrastructure since 2019.
Deputy Governor Barrister Bayo Lawal also commended the administration’s even handed approach to development, particularly in Oke Ogun, assuring residents that “no major project initiated by this administration will be abandoned by the end of its tenure.”
The education sector received a boost with the approval of ₦107.74 million for 23,042 science equipment items for 99 public secondary schools. The council additionally endorsed a Project Facilitation Fund under OYSIPA and forwarded the Oyo State Medical Residency Training Bill 2025 to the House of Assembly.
As Makinde’s administration enters its final phase, political observers note that the Governor’s steady profile, coupled with growing calls from supporters urging him to consider the 2027 presidential run, has positioned him as one of the most watched figures in Nigeria’s emerging political landscape. Importantly, he remains one of the few surviving PDP Governors who has not defected to the ruling APC, further solidifying his standing within the party as speculation about the 2027 elections continues to mount.
