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Residents and business owners along the Okpagha-Amufi axis in Benin City have expressed renewed optimism following the reconstruction of the long-neglected road by Edo State Governor Monday Okpebholo.
The 8.6km road network, which directly affects seven communities and connects about 10 adjoining streets, stretches from the Agbor Park axis to the Benin-Auchi Road Bypass, creating a more direct route for residents and motorists.
The reconstruction has significantly improved connectivity within the area and reduced travel time for road users. Residents of Agbor Park and adjoining communities can now access the Auchi Road corridor directly without the need to pass through Ramak Park, providing a major boost to mobility and easing the difficulties previously associated with the deplorable road network.
For residents who endured years of deteriorating infrastructure, the intervention represents more than a road project. They said it has restored confidence, improved living conditions and revived social and economic activities in a community they described as having suffered prolonged neglect.
The impact is also being reflected in the local economy, with residents reporting the opening of new businesses and the reopening of shops that had previously closed. One resident recounted that a plot of land purchased in the area for about ₦150,000 two years ago is now reportedly valued at approximately ₦4.5 million, a development she attributed to the renewed economic prospects created by improved infrastructure.
Expressing appreciation for the governor’s intervention, some residents also linked the administration’s infrastructure projects to federal support and said the development had strengthened their support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu ahead of the 2027 presidential election. They maintained that the improved road network was tangible evidence of the benefits they associate with the collaboration between the state and federal governments.
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One resident, who described Governor Okpebholo as a transformative leader, said the community had experienced a dramatic turnaround after years of declining economic and social activities. According to the resident, many property owners had previously abandoned the area or sold their properties because of the difficult living conditions, but the reconstruction has now reconnected the community and restored its attractiveness.
Another resident, Mrs Azubuike, recalled that the road was previously almost impassable, with severe erosion, potholes and muddy conditions making access to homes extremely difficult. She expressed gratitude for the intervention, saying the improved road had eliminated many of the daily hardships residents previously faced. She further stated that the visible transformation had become a powerful demonstration of the administration’s intervention in the community.
Pa Gabriel Erabor, a landlord who has lived in the area for more than 20 years, also commended the governor for addressing the longstanding problem. He described the reconstruction as a fulfilment of the administration’s promises and expressed support for the governor’s development agenda, while also acknowledging the role of federal support in enabling the state government to execute its projects.
The Okpagha-Amufi Road project, which cuts across Okpagha, Amufi, Iyanomo, Iguomon, Eyaen, Ighekpe and Ohovbe communities in Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Area, once regarded by residents as one of the major infrastructure challenges in the Agbor Road area, is now emerging as a catalyst for renewed economic and social activity. With improved access, returning property owners and growing commercial activity, residents say the project has brought a sense of normalcy and renewed hope to a community that had endured years of infrastructural neglect.
