Ogun State Gov. Dapo Abiodun on Tuesday inaugurated the Laderin–Prof. Wole Soyinka Train Station Road in Abeokuta, announcing plans to unveil 20 additional roads across the state as part of activities marking Ogun’s 50th anniversary.
Ogun State was created on Feb. 13, 1976, by the military government of late Murtala Muhammed and will mark its golden jubilee in February 2026.
Speaking at the inauguration in Abeokuta, Abiodun said construction was progressing steadily on the Sagamu Interchange–Papalanto–Opele Road, a 100-kilometre highway he described as a critical east–west connector within the state.
He said the road, when completed, would provide motorists with an alternative route and reduce traffic through Abeokuta, while opening up the corridor to increased commercial activity.
“Let me share with you the biggest secret of our reconstruction efforts right now — the Ogun East–West Connector,” Abiodun said. “This road stretches from the Sagamu Interchange through Papalanto to Opele, covering about 100 kilometres.”
The governor said the road had been closed for full reconstruction, adding that about 25 kilometres of the Sagamu Interchange–Papalanto section had already been rebuilt with reinforced concrete.
“When completed, trucks and vehicles conveying goods from Ota, Ifo and Ewekoro will no longer need to use the Abeokuta–Sagamu Expressway,” he said. “They will connect directly to Papalanto and access the expressway.”
Abiodun described the Prof. Wole Soyinka Train Station as a major transport hub linking Ogun to Lagos, Oyo State and northern Nigeria, noting that the presence of five train stations in the state underscored its strategic importance to the country’s economy.
He said his administration rehabilitated the Laderin access road as part of a multimodal transport agenda, after noting that access roads were not provided when the rail line was constructed. He added that between 100,000 and 150,000 passengers, including investors, commute daily between Ogun, Oyo and Lagos states.
The governor said the train station road formed part of more than 1,600 kilometres of roads constructed across the state. He added that one lane of the Atan–Lusada–Agbara Road had been completed, while work had begun on the second lane.
Earlier, the Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Ade Akinsanya, represented by Permanent Secretary Lateef Yusuf, said the three-kilometre road would provide access to the MKO Abiola Trade Fair Complex and surrounding communities, easing movement and boosting commerce.
A former member of the House of Representatives and the Osi of Egbaland, Chief Bode Mustapha, recalled the poor condition of the road in the past, saying its reconstruction and other projects had significantly benefited Ogun Central Senatorial District and Abeokuta under the current administration.
