“Ibadan Has Changed”: Hotelier Commends Makinde Over Road and Transport Upgrade

*Resident says smooth roads, new Iwo Road terminals show why governor remains popular*

A resident of Ibadan and hotelier has commended Governor Seyi Makinde for the visible transformation in the state capital, saying his first public transport trip in two years showed why the governor remains popular across Oyo State.

The account was shared with members of GSM Advocates, a support group for the governor, after the resident visited a friend in the Alakia and Adegbayi area for his son’s wedding. The friend, he said, was a former neighbor from his first residence.

According to him, for many years his movement had been limited to his home and business within the Ologuneru, Eleyele and Sango axis. That, he explained, made him lose touch with developments in other parts of Ibadan until his trip on Wednesday.

“I am just arriving home, I have a story to tell. For the first time in over two years, I took public transport,” he said. 

“Today, I realized that I have lost touch with developments in Ibadan. Ibadan has changed. No wonder Seyi Makinde is popular in Oyo State.”

He described the roads he traveled on as smooth and pleasurable, and noted the presence of big structures in different areas of the city.

The biggest surprise, he said, was at Iwo Road, a location he recalled as notorious for age-long traffic congestion.

“You can no longer get taxi, okada or maruwa under the Iwo Road bridge,” he narrated. “There were two big terminals where all inter-state and intra-state vehicles are boarded. I saw order and decency. I couldn’t believe that I was in Ibadan.”

Members of GSM Advocates said the testimony reflects what many residents have been experiencing across Ibadan in the last seven years. 

They noted that the Iwo Road Interchange and the new transport terminals were built to remove roadside boarding, reduce gridlock, and bring order to commercial transportation.

The group added that stories from ordinary citizens who have seen changes first hand help to explain the growing support for the Makinde administration in Oyo State. 

They said the focus on infrastructure, urban renewal and traffic management has made daily movement easier for residents and visitors.

*Govt Says Drive Aims to Improve Mobility*

The Oyo State Government has consistently said its infrastructure drive is aimed at improving mobility, supporting commerce, and creating a more organized environment for residents.

With more residents sharing similar experiences, supporters argue that the transformation in Ibadan is becoming one of the defining features of the current administration.