Ogun residents frustrated as bad roads hurt businesses

Residents living along the Agbado-Ijoko Road in Ifo Local Government Area, Ogun State, are complaining about the bad condition of the road. They say it has hurt businesses, messed up transportation, and made it hard for people to move around.

During a visit to the area, residents told our reporters that the road has been in this bad shape for years. Motorists and commuters now struggle to get to their homes and workplaces.

In June 2026, PUNCH Metro reported that people from Agbado, Abule-Ijoko, Itoki, Ope-Ilu, and other nearby communities had complained about the poor roads. They said this problem had lasted for over 15 years.

The report mentioned that the road connecting Agbado Oja to Abule-Ijoko, which is about 13 kilometres long, has fallen apart. Some parts are barely usable, while others are completely blocked.

On a recent visit, our reporters saw that some sections of the road had been left unattended. Vehicles could not use these parts at all.

In some areas, mud covered the road and potholes made it worse. Stagnant water had taken over some sections, and vehicles were stuck in the muddy patches as drivers tried to get through the potholes.

Because of the bad road, motorists and residents have had to look for other routes through nearby streets, which are also not in good shape.

Jamiu Raimi, a resident of Itoki who has lived there for 20 years, told our reporters that the road used to be fine. He said a trip from his house to Agbado took about 10 minutes before, but now it takes over an hour.

Raimi, who works in Ojota, pointed out that there are fewer buses now, so people have to use motorcycles. He said, “When I started staying in Itoki, the road was good, but now the road is nothing to write about. People’s cars are getting spoilt and we don’t see buses again. We now use motorcycles, but it is not safe because of the condition of the road.”

He added, “Before, it took about 10 minutes to get to Agbado from where I stay, but now it can take more than one hour. Whenever it rains, it becomes difficult to get buses to take us to our destinations.”

Raimi also mentioned that the road situation has made it hard for him to get to work. Sometimes, he only goes home twice a week because of the transportation issues. He claimed that the government had tried to fix the road by bringing sand, but the road got worse after rain.

As a landlord, he said the bad road has affected house rentals. Some people are leaving the community, and potential tenants are not interested in renting there anymore. He asked the government to fix the road, saying transport costs are too high for residents.

Mrs Modupe Olaniran, a trader from Rafco who has lived in Adebimpe for 10 years, said the road has hurt her business and others as well. She now spends more to transport her goods, affecting her sales.

Olaniran said, “The road has been bad for more than 10 years. When I want to take my goods to sell, I spend more on transportation because of the condition of the road, and this has really affected my business.”

She noted that many people are selling their houses because of the bad road. Olaniran also mentioned Idiroko Road, which she said has been abandoned for a long time and is now waterlogged. She said using that road gives her body pains and makes her feel exhausted.

Another resident, Alubarika Yinka, who operates a commercial vehicle and lives in Opeilu along Agbado-Ijoko Road, said the road has been bad for a long time. He explained that buses have stopped using some parts of the road, and any vehicle that tries often breaks down.

Yinka added that people now use nearby streets, but those routes are also bad. Some residents who cannot drive to their homes have to park their vehicles around Agbado Bus Stop, which he called unsafe.

Tayo Odusanya said the road gets worse during the rainy season. He mentioned that many commercial drivers are spending more money on repairs. Odusanya said, “Whenever it rains, vehicles cannot pass through the normal road. People now use the streets as alternative routes, and this has affected movement.”

He continued, “Businesses have also dropped because heavy-duty vehicles cannot come to deliver goods. People cannot even visit some residents because cars cannot pass through the road.”

Odusanya also alleged that some people are collecting between N100 and N200 from drivers using the new routes.

When asked about the situation, Ogun State Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Ade Akinsanya, said that the Akute-Agbado section of the road is being rebuilt. He mentioned that other parts would be fixed later.

Akinsanya said they hope to complete the project before December, depending on the weather. He noted that they have already started laying the second layer of asphalt from the Akute end.