Gov. Seyi Makinde of Oyo State says his administration embarked on building effective transportation system in Ibadan as a modern alternative to the existing transport system in the state.
Makinde made the assertions on Tuesday while inaugurating two bus terminals situated at Ojoo and Challenge areas of Ibadan, the state capital.
The Governor recalled that when he came into office in 2019, he discovered that the state capital needed an effective transportation system.
“Though, some people said the project was a misplaced priority, and they created lists of other projects that they thought we should have prioritised.
“Of course, not everyone was seeing the big picture as we were.
“Well, we knew better, because, in our quest to engineer a modern Oyo State, we always relied on data, science and logic.
“The data showed that it was time to build a modern alternative to the existing transport system in the state,” he said.
According to him, Oyo State receives heavy traffic from all over the country.
“By virtue of its location, Ibadan has always been that town where travellers can layover either on their ways out of the South-West or into the South-West.
“The data said it was time to build on that comparative advantage.
“Science supported the data; Oyo State has traditionally been a nodal region and that geographical fact was not going to change.
“If anything, the growth in the population of Nigeria was going to further support the need to turn our comparative advantage into a competitive advantage.
“And when science and data align, logic always follows,” the Governor said.
He further explained that construction of the terminals and other projects such as the Lekan Salami Sports Complex, Adamasingba, the ongoing Fasola Agribusiness Industrial Hubs, would boost the State’s Internally Generated Revenue.
Makinde said that this would augment the dwindling Federal allocations, thereby grow enough to support further development.
The Edo State Governor, Mr Godwin Obaseki, who attended the inauguration, lauded Makinde for being a visionary leader.
He said Nigeria has hope when blessed with personalities like Makinde.
Obaseki enjoined the people of Oyo State to keep on supporting their governor, for him to continue providing good governance.
Earlier, the Commissioner for Public Transport, Prof. Dahud Sangodoyin, said four bus terminal projects were awarded in 2020 at the cost of N16.9billion.
According to Sangodoyin, the terminals are at Ojoo and Challenge, “which are being inaugurated today” while the remaining two terminals are sited at Iwo Road Interchange.
He said the administration of Makinde would continue to invest in infrastructure development across the state, as part of the measures to improve socioeconomic status of the state.