Nigeria Opens 21 Roads in Ogun State Anniversary Push

A once-avoided road in Nigeria has transformed into a bustling gateway connecting travelers, businesses, and entire communities across West Africa.

Governor Dapo Abiodun opened the Laderin–Wole Soyinka Train Station Road in Abeokuta on Tuesday, the first of 21 roads set to launch during Ogun State's golden anniversary. The three-kilometer road now provides smooth access to the train station that links Ogun State to Lagos, Oyo State, and northern Nigeria.

The station sees between 100,000 and 150,000 passengers traveling daily for work and business. Before this renovation, motorcycle taxi drivers avoided the area entirely because the road was in such poor condition.

"The road was previously a no-go area," said Taofeek Sokoya, who leads the state's motorcycle owners association. Now it connects travelers to the MKO Abiola Trade Fair Complex and surrounding neighborhoods that previously struggled with isolation.

But the real game-changer is still under construction. Abiodun's administration is building the Ogun East-West Connector, a 100-kilometer highway from Sagamu Interchange through Papalanto to Opele.

Workers have already completed 25 kilometers of the route using reinforced concrete. When finished, trucks carrying goods won't need to detour through Abeokuta anymore, saving time and fuel while opening rural areas to new commerce.

The project is part of 1,600 kilometers of roads the state has built in recent years. One lane of the Atan–Lusada–Agbara Road is complete, with construction on the second lane already started.

The Ripple Effect

These roads are doing more than moving vehicles. They're connecting farmers to markets, students to schools, and small business owners to customers they couldn't reach before.

Chief Bode Mustapha, a former national legislator, remembers when the Laderin area was cut off from opportunity. The transformation is bringing economic life to communities that were left behind for decades.

Five train stations now sit in Ogun State, making it a critical hub for Nigeria's economic development. The governor's multimodal transportation plan links these stations with quality roads, creating a web of connections across the region.

Twenty more ribbon-cutting ceremonies are coming soon, each one opening new possibilities for the people who call Ogun State home.