Ajimobi flags off N70bn Ibadan circular road construction

Jeremiah Oke, Ibadan The Oyo State Governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, on Friday flagged off the construction of the Ibadan Circular Road estimated to cost about N70bn.  The governor, while speaking at the flag-off held at Badeku Village in Ona-Ara Local Government Area, said the 32km first phase of the 110km road would be completed within […]

Jeremiah Oke, Ibadan

The Oyo State Governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, on Friday flagged off the construction of the Ibadan Circular Road estimated to cost about N70bn.

 The governor, while speaking at the flag-off held at Badeku Village in Ona-Ara Local Government Area, said the 32km first phase of the 110km road would be completed within 18 months.

 He said the first phase of the project, which would start from Badeku Village and end at Ajanla Village on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, representing the Northeast corner of the project, was awarded to the ENL Consortium Limited.

 According to the governor, the project will be financed through a facility sourced from the Nexim Bank of China by the contractor on a “Build, Operate and Transfer“ arrangement between the ENL and the state government.

 Ajimobi said: “This project is at no cost to Oyo State Government; our partner (ENL Consortium) shall raise fund to finance it on the basis of `build, operate and transfer’ as part of our public-private partnership agreement.

Ajimobi, however, called on the federal government to support states with more funds for development to reach the grassroots.

 In his address, the state Commissioner for Works and Transport, Mr. Wasiu Dauda, said the circular road was conceived as a by-pass to divert traffic away from the city, thereby reducing travel time and operating cost of vehicles.

 Dauda said aside the 32km first phase, he gave the length of the remaining three phases as Northwest 33km; Southwest 24km and Southeast 20.8km.