BENIN CITY — Residents and business owners along the Okpagha-Amufi axis in Benin City, Edo State, say the reconstruction of the once-deplorable road has renewed economic activities, improved mobility and restored hope in communities that endured years of infrastructural neglect.
The 8.6-kilometre road network, reconstructed under the administration of Governor Monday Okpebholo, cuts across seven communities and connects about 10 adjoining streets, stretching from the Agbor Park axis to the Benin-Auchi Road Bypass.
Residents said the improved road has created a more direct route between the communities and the Auchi Road corridor, significantly reducing travel time and eliminating the need for motorists and residents from the Agbor Park area to pass through Ramak Park before accessing Auchi Road.
For residents who spent years grappling with potholes, erosion, mud and difficult access to their homes and businesses, the completed reconstruction represents more than an infrastructure project.
They said the intervention has improved living conditions, restored confidence in the area and triggered renewed social and commercial activities.
Businesses Return, Property Values Rise
The economic impact of the road reconstruction is already becoming visible, with residents reporting the opening of new businesses and the reopening of shops that had previously shut down because of poor access.
One resident said a plot of land purchased in the area for about N150,000 two years ago is now reportedly worth approximately N4.5 million, attributing the sharp increase in value to improved infrastructure and the area’s renewed economic prospects.
Another resident, who described Governor Okpebholo as a transformative leader, said the area had experienced a dramatic turnaround after years of declining commercial and social activities.
According to the resident, some property owners had abandoned or sold their properties because of the difficult living conditions, but the reconstruction has now made the area more attractive to residents, businesses and property owners.
Residents Recall Years of Neglect
Mrs. Azubuike, a resident of the area, recalled the condition of the road before the reconstruction, describing it as almost impassable due to severe erosion, potholes and muddy conditions.
She expressed gratitude for the intervention, saying the improved road had eliminated several daily challenges faced by residents.
She said the transformation was now visible to everyone in the community and had demonstrated the impact of improved infrastructure on the lives and livelihoods of residents.
Pa Gabriel Erabor, a landlord who has lived in the area for more than 20 years, also commended the governor for addressing what he described as a longstanding infrastructure challenge.
Erabor said the reconstruction fulfilled the administration’s promise to improve infrastructure, expressing support for the governor’s development agenda.
He also acknowledged the role of support from the Federal Government in enabling the state to execute infrastructure projects across Edo.
A New Route to Economic Opportunity
The Okpagha-Amufi Road cuts across Okpagha, Amufi, Iyanomo, Iguomon, Eyaen, Ighekpe and Ohovbe communities in Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Area.
The route was previously regarded by residents as one of the major infrastructure challenges in the Agbor Road axis, with its poor condition affecting transportation, property values, businesses and general economic activity.
With the reconstruction now improving access, residents say the area is gradually returning to normalcy, with increased commercial activity and renewed interest in properties.
Some residents also linked the administration’s infrastructure interventions to support from the Federal Government and said the visible development had strengthened their confidence in the Tinubu administration ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
For residents along the Okpagha-Amufi axis, the reconstructed road has therefore become more than a passageway. They say it has opened a new path to economic opportunity, improved connectivity and renewed hope in communities that had endured years of neglect.
