President Bola Tinubu has approved the inclusion of two key federal road projects in Ekiti State, the Itawure Aramoko, Ado Ekiti Road and the Aramoko–Ijero, Ifaki Ekiti Road, in the 2026 Federal Government budget. The move signals a renewed commitment by the administration to improving infrastructure and regional connectivity across Nigeria’s southwest.
The announcement was made on Wednesday by Yinka Oyebode, Special Adviser on Media to Ekiti State Governor Biodun Oyebanji, in a statement released in Ado Ekiti. According to Oyebode, “a letter to the effect of the approval has since been forwarded from the Office of the President to the Honourable Minister of Works, Engr. David Umahi. The Governor of Ekiti State, Mr Biodun Oyebanji, was also copied.”
Economic Impact and Regional Development
Oyebode explained that the construction of the two new federal roads would “further ease travelling, enhance connectivity across different parts of the country, boost commercial activities and open up the state to greater economic opportunities and development.” The projects are expected to facilitate trade, improve logistics, and reduce travel time across Ekiti and neighboring states.
He disclosed that the decision followed a visit by Governor Oyebanji and Senate Leader Senator Opeyemi Bamidele to President Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on November 9, 2025. During the meeting, the leaders discussed the poor condition of federal roads in Ekiti and sought urgent intervention from the federal government.
Response to Public Outcry
The approval comes after months of public outcry over the dilapidated state of the Itawure–Aramoko–Ado Ekiti Road, one of the state’s busiest routes. Residents and commuters have long decried the impact of bad roads on transportation costs and business activities.
Tinubu’s administration has already awarded contracts for three other federal roads in Ekiti, including the Akure–Ikere–Ado Ekiti Road and the Ifaki–Oye–Ikole–Omuo Ekiti Road, with contractors mobilized to sites. These projects form part of a broader federal strategy to rehabilitate key transport corridors in the region.
State Government’s Role
In addition to the federal projects, the Oyebanji-led government has completed the Ado–Iworoko–Ifaki Road, alongside several inter-city and intra-city road projects executed in the past three years. Oyebode said the state government remained “committed to the welfare and well-being of the citizens” and would “continue to collaborate with the Federal Government, institutions, private sector players, and development agencies in its development efforts.”
Governor Oyebanji, through his media aide, expressed gratitude to President Tinubu for his “strategic intervention in the socio-economic and infrastructure development of Ekiti State, as well as other support provided for the state.” He also praised the federal government’s “unwavering support” and “demonstrated efforts at fixing the roads, which had culminated in the contractual awards of three of the roads.”
Federal and State Synergy
The development underscores a stronger synergy between state and federal authorities in addressing infrastructure gaps across Nigeria. Analysts note that improved transportation networks are vital for driving investment, reducing logistics bottlenecks, and expanding access to markets in the largely agrarian Ekiti region.
As road rehabilitation gains momentum, Ekiti is positioning itself for sustained economic recovery and better integration into the national transport grid — a critical step toward unlocking broader development potential in southwestern Nigeria.
