The Oyo State Government has disbursed more than ₦5.35 billion in compensation to 578 property owners affected by the first segment of the Ibadan Circular Road project, in what the administration of Governor Seyi Makinde describes as a major milestone for one of the state's most ambitious infrastructure schemes.

The update was given by the governor's Executive Adviser on New Towns and Cities, Mrs Mofoluke Adebiyi, in a statement issued in Ibadan on Sunday by the governor's Special Adviser on Media, Sulaimon Olarenwaju. The statement said the payments showed the government's commitment to balancing large-scale development with the protection of residents whose homes and land fall in the path of the road.

A 32.2-kilometre first segment

The first segment of the circular road runs for 32.2 kilometres, starting from the Abiola Ajimobi Technical University axis on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway in Oluyole Local Government Area, passing through Ona Ara Local Government Area and ending at Badeku Junction on the Ibadan-Ife Expressway in Egbeda Local Government Area.

Compensation is being paid under two categories. The first is the Right of Way category, covering properties within 75 metres on either side of the road median. A total of 674 structures were enumerated in this category, and Governor Makinde approved ₦3,862,151,322.20 as compensation for the affected owners.

The second is the Omission category, for property owners who were initially left out of the enumeration exercise. Governor Makinde approved ₦1,813,954,100.00 for owners in this group. Across both categories, 578 property owners have now received payments, and the government says the exercise is still ongoing.

Payments still under way

Not every claimant has been paid yet. According to the statement, 263 claimants under the Right of Way category and 35 under the Omission category have yet to appear before the Screening Committee to complete the documentation required to qualify for payment.

The latest disbursement follows an earlier announcement in late October 2026, when Governor Makinde approved ₦4.6 billion as the first tranche of compensation for property owners affected by the project, after a meeting with residents along the road corridor. At that meeting, the governor also reaffirmed a 75-metre setback in built-up areas along the corridor, a concession residents had sought.

The state government says the compensation will be paid directly into beneficiaries' bank accounts. Officials have assured eligible claimants who have not yet been screened that the exercise will continue until all verified owners are paid, while urging those still outstanding to present themselves for screening.

Why the road matters

The Ibadan Circular Road, also known as the Senator Rashidi Ladoja Circular Road, is designed to ease traffic around Ibadan, one of Nigeria's largest cities, by giving through-traffic an alternative route around the urban centre. The first segment is the opening stretch of a project the state government presents as central to its infrastructure programme.

Large road projects in Nigeria have often stalled over compensation disputes, with residents complaining of delayed or unpaid claims. The Oyo government is presenting the ₦5.35 billion paid so far as evidence that this project is being handled differently, although the true test will be whether the remaining claimants are paid promptly and the road itself is completed on schedule.

For the 578 owners who have received payment, the money closes one chapter. For the hundreds still waiting to complete screening, the government's promise is that their turn is coming. The state says it will keep the compensation exercise open until every eligible claimant has been settled.