Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke officially commissioned the completed 3.5-kilometer first phase of the Ila township road dualization project on Thursday, saying the project will boost socio-economic development in the ancient town and its environs.
Speaking during the commissioning ceremony, the governor described the dual carriageway as much more than physical infrastructure, calling it a vital artery for commerce, public mobility, and community safety.
He emphasized that the project, alongside other township roads, local markets, and healthcare facilities, reflects his administration’s firm belief in driving grassroots development across the state.
Governor Adeleke noted that the upgraded road network will attract new investments to the historic town while streamlining the transportation of farm produce and improving access to schools, medical centers, and the palace.
“The dual carriageway is more than a road; it is a lifeline for commerce, mobility, and safety for our people.”
“Ila is a historic town, a center of learning, culture, and commerce. With this dualized road, we are opening Ila to more investment, easier movement of farm produce, and better access to essential institutions. Beyond this project, my administration has equally completed over seven kilometers of intracity roads within Ila Orangun,” Governor Adeleke said.
He added that ongoing intercity road construction across the state will ensure Ila Orangun remains fully integrated into Osun State’s broader infrastructure development agenda.
Earlier, the Commissioner for Special Duties, Dr. Tokunbo Salam, said the Adeleke administration had recorded landmark achievements in infrastructure that would remain part of the state’s history.
He noted that the first phase of the road was completed within the 12-month timeline 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.
Also speaking, the director of research and planning in the Ministry of Works and Infrastructure, Olalekan Salami, said the governor approved a 10-kilometer dual carriageway to be executed in three phases.
He explained that the first and second phases each cover 3.5 kilometers, while the final phase will span three kilometers.
“Your Excellency, you approved that the dualisation of the Ila road should be 10 kilometers 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 kilometers.
“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 kilometers has been completed within 12 months; another 3.5 kilometers will be completed within the next 12 months, while the final three kilometers will complete the 10-kilometer dual carriageway,” he said.
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