EYINKE ROAD: AIYEDATIWA ENDS 24 YEARS OF NEGLECT
By Kikelomo Isijola
There are roads that simply connect places, and there are roads that reconnect people to hope. Eyinke Road in Akure belongs to the latter category.
For 24 years, the road remained a painful reminder of an unfulfilled promise. Initiated during the administration of the late Governor Adebayo Adefarati, the project was left incomplete and gradually slipped into neglect as successive administrations looked elsewhere. Residents adapted to the difficult terrain, motorists avoided the route, businesses bore the consequences, and the opportunity to improve traffic flow within Akure was lost.
For me, this is more than just another road project. My family house is a stone’s throw from Eyinke Road, so I grew up witnessing the daily struggles of residents and motorists who used the route. The road was notorious for its uneven surface, dominated by exposed sandstone formations – known locally as eguru – which made driving and walking a difficult experience. During the rainy season, the road became almost impassable, while in the dry season, it was enveloped in dust. Its deplorable condition became so well known that Akure’s popular folk musician, Ebenezer Bombo, immortalised it in one of his songs with the memorable phrase, “Ori eguru wowowo.” For anyone familiar with Eyinke Road, those words instantly painted a vivid picture of its condition. Today, with reconstruction well underway, that once-famous eguru is steadily giving way to a smooth, modern roadway. What was once a symbol of neglect is fast becoming a symbol of renewal.
Although construction is still ongoing, Governor Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa has taken the bold step of reviving and reconstructing the road, bringing an end to more than two decades of abandonment. The significance of this intervention goes beyond laying asphalt; it is about restoring confidence that government can return to neglected projects and complete them for the benefit of the people.
Eyinke Road occupies a strategic position in Akure’s road network. Upon completion, it will provide an important alternative route, helping to ease the persistent traffic congestion on the ever-busy Arakale Road, particularly around the Oja Oba axis, one of the city’s busiest commercial centres. For commuters, traders and transport operators, this will mean shorter travel times, easier movement and improved productivity.
The project will also complement the ongoing dualisation of the Akure–Idanre Road. Together, both projects reflect a broader vision of improving connectivity, reducing traffic bottlenecks and preparing the state capital for future growth. A modern city cannot thrive without an efficient road network, and these investments are laying the foundation for a more accessible and economically vibrant Akure.
Beyond transportation, the economic impact of the Eyinke Road reconstruction will be substantial. Improved accessibility will increase the value of properties along the corridor, encourage new investments, stimulate commercial activities and make the neighbourhood more attractive for residential and business development. For many homeowners and business operators, this project represents not only better infrastructure but also renewed economic opportunities.
Governor Aiyedatiwa deserves commendation for choosing to complete a project that many had written off. Rather than allowing another inherited challenge to remain a monument to government inaction, his administration has demonstrated that continuity in governance can produce meaningful results.
While the reconstruction is not yet complete, the progress already made sends an encouraging message – abandoned projects do not have to remain abandoned forever. If sustained to completion, the Eyinke Road project will stand as a lasting testament to purposeful leadership – one that values continuity, honours past commitments and places the welfare of the people above politics.
For those of us who remember the days of “Ori eguru wowowo,” seeing heavy construction equipment on Eyinke Road is more than a development project; it is the fulfilment of a long-awaited dream. Soon, what was once a symbol of neglect will become a lasting legacy of renewal.
Hon. Kikelomo Isijola Special Assistant to Gov Aiyedatiwa on Digital Media.
