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Founder and Chancellor of Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti, Aare Afe Babalola, SAN, has appealed to the Federal Government to urgently reconstruct the Ado-Ijan-Ilumoba-Ikole federal road leading to the university, describing it as “deplorable and impassable.”
In a letter made public on Wednesday, Babalola also expressed appreciation to former Ekiti Central senator, Senator Babafemi Ojudu, for consistently speaking out on the poor state of federal roads in Ekiti State.
Babalola said that 30 years after Ekiti was created on October 1, 1996, the state remains “land-locked, motorway-locked, rail-way-locked, industry-locked, power-locked, and airport-locked,” a situation he said was hindering economic development.
He commended the Ekiti State Governor, Mr. Biodun Oyebanji, for attracting goodwill that led to the commencement of commercial flights into the Ekiti Agro-Allied International Cargo Airport on December 10, 2025.
At the inaugural flight, Oyebanji acknowledged Babalola’s contribution of $1.6 million for Navigational Aids and Control Tower equipment, and N356,795,039.18 for the construction of a 100-car capacity car park at the airport.
The elder statesman said the Ado-Ijan-Ilumoba-Ikole Road was constructed by colonial authorities over 100 years ago as the main link between Lagos and Lokoja before Abuja existed.
He noted that the road, built with “hoes and cutlasses,” remains long and winding and has been neglected for decades.
He said Afe Babalola University spent “billions of naira” between 2010 and 2019 to repair and maintain the road and the old Ureje Bridge as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility.
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Babalola stated that the road serves several critical institutions including: ABUAD, rated No. 1 in Nigeria for five consecutive years (2022-2026) by Times Higher Education and No. 72 globally; the 400-bed ABUAD Multi-system Hospital described as “the most well-equipped hospital in Sub-Saharan Africa”; the Federal Polytechnic, Ado-Ekiti; the Ado-Ekiti Campus of National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN); a Federal Government silo; and the Ekiti Agro-Allied International Cargo Airport.
He said that despite repeated representations to the Federal Government, the road was awarded to contractors in 2019 and again two years ago, but both allegedly abandoned the project and worsened its condition.
“As a result, many of our lecturers living outside the campus cannot come to the university with their vehicles, a development which makes them report to work late. It is that bad,” he said.
Babalola recalled writing to former Minister of Works, Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN, on January 24, 2022, offering ABUAD’s College of Engineering to repair the road and construct a new bridge if the Federal Government would fund it. He said there was no response.
He praised Senator Ojudu for joining the call for government action, particularly ahead of the university’s October 21, 2026 event where Trinity Western University, Canada and Trinity International University, USA will confer Honorary Doctor of Laws degrees on him.
“Is the deplorable and impassable road what we want to showcase to the international community?” Babalola asked, noting that ABUAD has students from all 36 states, the FCT, and foreign countries.
He supported Ojudu’s request that the Minister of Works, Mr. David Umahi, inspect the road and interact with him, and further appealed to President Bola Tinubu, to personally visit the road.
Babalola also called on Ekiti people, professors, and opinion leaders to join the campaign to make Ekiti roads motorable.
