Ibadan-Ife-Ilesa Road: Contractor Resumes Work After Compliance With Minister’s Orders

CBC Global Civil and Building Construction Nigeria Limited has resumed reconstruction work on the Ibadan-Ife-Ilesa Road after complying with directives issued by the Minister of Works, David Umahi, on improving the quality of the project.

The company’s Area Manager, Yuan Kaizhi, disclosed this on Friday while addressing journalists at the project site in Ikire, Osun State.

Kaizhi said the contractor had implemented all recommendations and corrections raised by the minister during his inspection, leading to the resumption of construction activities.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalled that Umahi, during an inspection on June 21, 2026, ordered the contractor to suspend work and review its pavement mixture specifications after identifying deficiencies in the ongoing reconstruction.

The minister also criticised the issuance of a N2.8 billion palliative certificate despite the absence of actual palliative work and directed the Controller of Works to withdraw the certificate within 24 hours.

He further instructed the contractor to carry out genuine palliative repairs, reduce the pace of work on the carriageway and deploy two construction teams to simultaneously handle both the inner and outer shoulders.

Providing an update, Kaizhi said the company immediately complied with the minister’s directives.

“The minister made recommendations on the concrete mixture and the maintenance of the existing road. Following his directive, we visited another project site with engineers from the Federal Ministry of Works to study concrete preparation and on-site operations,” he said.

“On return, we immediately adjusted our mixture. As you can see, the changes have been implemented and the quality has improved. I can assure you that the road will last at least 50 years.”

Kaizhi added that palliative repairs had also been carried out on the alternative lane to improve traffic flow.

“We filled major potholes, applied a cement-stabilised base course and laid asphalt. The road is now smoother, safer and more convenient for motorists,” he explained.

Project Manager, Anjikwi Anjilibwala, confirmed that the contractor had fully complied with the minister’s directives.

He revealed that approximately 65 per cent of the current carriageway under construction had been completed and reiterated that the 108.4-kilometre road project carries a 50-year durability guarantee with a three-year completion timeline.

Residents of the area commended the Federal Government for approving the reconstruction and urged the contractor to sustain the improved pace and quality of work.