Oyo State Government has provided an update on the state’s budget performance for the current fiscal year, and also highlighted key areas of progress in road infrastructure and education.
The state government, during a press briefing on Wednesday, November 6, outlined the state’s fiscal performance and provided insight on upcoming road and education infrastructure projects that aim to enhance the state’s infrastructure and educational sector.
Briefing newsmen on the outcome of the 12th state executive council meeting, the Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Professor Musibaudeen Babatunde disclosed that Oyo state’s budget performance currently stands at 64.4 percent on both recurrent and capital expenditure.
He added that the figure culminated from the state government areas of infrastructure priorities such as the Ibadan Circular Road, Independent Power Project, as well as construction and rehabilitation of inner roads projects among others.
The commissioner also revealed that governor Makinde would chair the state 2025 Treasury Board meeting to be held next week Monday and Tuesday which is targeted at finalizing the budgetary process for 2025 budget proposal.
“I can announce to you that Oyo state budget from January till September, has performed at 64.4 percent across the recurrent as well as the capital expenditure. Personnel costs and others that actually averaged the 64.4 percent, and that actually culminated into some of the projects in terms of infrastructural development that we have been undertaking in Oyo state.
“From the Circular road to the independent power project, as well as the inner roads that we’re fixing are well accounted for in the year 2024 budget. So, that’s the budget performance that we’ve been able to record this year.
Similarly, the Commissioner for Public Works and Transport, Professor Dawud Sangodoyin, disclosed that the state executive council has approved asphlatic improvement of selected roads within old and new bodija including areas affected by the Ibadan dynamite explosion.
The total size of the road infrastructure projects according to the commissioner is 7.172km at a sum of ₦5.69 billion (five billion six hundred and ninety nine million six hundred and five thousand, two hundred and sixty five naira).
According to Prof. Sangodoyin, the old bodija road infrastructure projects include Adeyi, avenue, Awosika, Obasanmi Olakanpo street, the Beckley, Oranmiyan, and Dejo Oyelese. Others include Canon Odusanya Close, Aderinola street, Akinlabi Sanda Close, Obasanmi Lakanoko Close, and Ekiti/Osun street totalling 4.16km
For new Bodija, the commissioner listed Ibrahim Taiwo Akinsenwa area, Moremi Sariyin Adebisi, Ladoke Akintola, Okunola Abass, and Ogunsola streets as road projects to be improved upon totalling 2.68km, all which are to be completed within eight months.
Prof Sagodoyin equally explained that the state executive council has also approved the Asphlatic improvement of the dualized molete under bridge to challenge junction (1.7km), Felele Idi-obi junction to Splash FM road to Onigari-Felele Express road totalling 3.5km.
Also, the executive Council approved the rehabilitation of road network and construction of parking lots, and repair of Freedom Flyover Bridge within and around Oyo state Secretariat, Agodi, Ibadan through direct labor intervention in collaboration with the ministry of public Works and Transport at a total cost of 3.76 billion, which is also expected completed within a period of eight months.
He stated that all the earmarked projects to be embarked upon are expected to be completed within a period of eight months. He disclosed that the governor has approved for the renaming of the road from Odo-odo to Onigari after Chief Mrs. Onikepo Akande, wife of the chairman of Westmidlands Communications.
Also speaking, the commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Professor Soliu Adelabu, disclosed that approval has been made by the state executive council for the remodeling and revamping of two technical colleges in Ibadan and Saki in line with the world bank technical vocational education and training model.
He equally stated that the state government has given an approval for the payment of a counterpart fund for the first phase of the World Bank projects at the sum of ₦1.1 billion naira (one billion one hindered and fifty three million four hundred and fourteen thousand ninety eight naira.
Prof. Adelabu also Informed that twenty three schools that were earlier shut down, culminating into increased number of out of school children for over a decade in oyo federal constituency due to land disputes have all been reopened and fully operational.
He added that the reopening and full operation of the 23 schools have drastically reduced the number of out of school children in the state as enrollment figure has gone up.
He also highlighted a series of new educational infrastructure projects, including the construction and renovation of schools, as well as the provision of modern learning tools and resources under the world bank project.
He emphasized that the government’s approach to education is holistic, focusing not just on infrastructure, but also on improving teacher quality, student engagement, and the overall learning environment.
The Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Prince Dotun Oyelade, in his brief remark, stated that the road projects, which are expected to be completed in phases, will address long-standing infrastructure deficits, while the education projects are anticipated to enhance the quality of learning and contribute to the overall development of the state’s human capital.