After days of protests by communities affected by the Ibadan Circular Road project, the Oyo State Government has agreed to scale down the scope of land acquisition from 500 metres to 150 metres in already developed areas along the project corridor.
The new decision was announced on Tuesday, November 11, 2025, during a meeting between the National Association of Public Affairs Analysts (NAPAA) and senior government officials, including the Executive Adviser to Governor Seyi Makinde on New Towns and Cities Development Authority (OYNTCDA), Mrs. Mofoluke Adebiyi, and the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Dr. Sulaimon Olanrewaju.
Adebiyi, who is also a retired permanent secretary and head of the OYNTCDA, explained that the government’s move was aimed at balancing public concern with the long-term vision of the Ibadan Circular Road.
She clarified that while the acquisition width would be reduced to 150 metres in developed stretches, the existing 500-metre limit would still be enforced in undeveloped sections.
“There is no fresh acquisition anywhere. People have been misinformed. Governor Makinde has not taken a single metre of land from that axis since 2019,” she said.
Tracing the project’s history, Adebiyi recalled that former Governor Rashidi Ladoja, now Olubadan of Ibadanland, initially approved a 75-metre stretch on both sides of the road in 2005.
The late Governor Abiola Ajimobi, she noted, later expanded it to 425 metres in 2017 under the Ibadan Master Plan, which was subsequently reviewed to 500 metres.
“The entire corridor covers one kilometre — 500 metres on each side. The road itself is 60 metres wide, while the rest accommodates the development corridor. What we’ve done now is to concede 150 metres where development already exists. In other areas, the 500 metres remain. Where necessary, compensation will be paid,” she stated.
She also explained that the Global Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) held by the OYNTCDA was created to ensure coordinated urban planning and eliminate land disputes.
“If your property falls in a developed area, you can still apply for your C of O. The OYNTCDA’s C of O simply covers the broader planning zone,” she added.
Dr. Olanrewaju, the governor’s spokesperson, dismissed allegations that parts of the corridor had been sold to private developers.
He said the government’s priority was to protect public interest and preserve the long-term economic potential of the project.
“Let’s remember that Senator Ladoja paid compensation during his tenure. What we’re dealing with in some cases now is double compensation. If the government invests billions of naira in this 110-kilometre road and fails to harness the opportunities around it, future generations will suffer for it,” he warned.
Olanrewaju compared the Ibadan project to the Lekki-Ajah axis in Lagos, urging residents to embrace the vision.
“If you drive through Lekki today, you’ll see planned growth on both sides — that didn’t happen by chance. We want Oyo State to experience similar structured development,” he said.
The Ibadan Circular Road, one of the signature infrastructure projects of the Seyi Makinde administration, is designed to decongest traffic within the city, stimulate economic activities, and attract investment into the Oyo State capital and surrounding communities.
