The Pivot Online Investigation: Farmers, traders and commuters bear the cost as Oba–Ikun, Iwaro–Ikun and Ipe–Ikun roads deteriorate
By The Pivot Online
Residents of Ikun Akoko in Akoko South West Local Government Area of Ondo State are calling for urgent government intervention over what they describe as the worsening condition of roads linking the community with neighbouring towns.
The affected routes include the Oba Akoko–Ikun Akoko, Iwaro Oka Akoko–Ikun Akoko and Ipe Akoko–Ikun Akoko roads.
According to residents, the situation becomes particularly severe after several days of rainfall, leaving some portions of the roads difficult or virtually impossible for motorists and commercial motorcycle operators to navigate.
For a community whose economy depends heavily on farming and local trade, residents say the road crisis has become more than an inconvenience—it is affecting livelihoods.
‘WHEN IT RAINS, IKUN BECOMES CUT OFF’
Residents who spoke through community correspondent Ibrahim Kilani of Radio Nigeria Positive FM described the condition of the roads as increasingly distressing.
A retired Anglican cleric, Rev. Canon Foluso Ogunsuyi, said the poor state of the roads had continued to undermine economic and social activities in the community.
Market women and farmers are particularly affected because transporting agricultural produce from the farms to neighbouring markets becomes difficult and expensive.
The problem is not entirely new.
A report published by The Punch in 2020 documented complaints over the Oba Akoko–Ikun and Ikun–Iwaro Oka roads, with residents reporting severe erosion and lengthy journeys on relatively short stretches of road.
The report also quoted Ogunsuyi as saying that the roughly four-kilometre Ikun–Ipe route could take more than an hour to navigate, while the less-than-three-kilometre Ikun–Iwaro route could take more than 40 minutes.
Six years later, residents say the concerns remain.
FARMERS PAY THE PRICE
For Ikun’s farming population, bad roads have a direct economic consequence.
Produce harvested from farms must reach markets while still fresh. When transportation becomes difficult, farmers risk losing part of their produce or paying substantially more to get it to market.
Market women also face higher transportation costs, reduced customer traffic and difficulty moving goods.
Residents say commercial motorcycles, popularly known as okada, remain one of the principal means of transportation into and out of the community.
But even that option becomes unreliable when heavy rainfall turns already-degraded portions of the roads into muddy and dangerous stretches.
THE GOVERNMENT HAS HEARD THE COMPLAINTS
The road concerns are also reflected in Ondo State’s own budget consultation records.
Government stakeholder documents have previously contained requests for the construction or rehabilitation of roads linking Iwaro-Oka and Ikun, as well as the Ipe–Ikun route.
A 2024 budget consultation report also described the Iwaro–Ikun road as being in deplorable condition.
This is significant because it shows that the problem is not simply a new complaint emerging from the community.
Government authorities have also announced road interventions affecting the wider area.
In 2025 and 2026, the Ondo State Government announced plans and approvals relating to the Oba–Ikun–Afo–Idoani Road, while the Aiyegunle–Iwaro Oka Road was commissioned in February 2026.
The state government also said further intervention on some roads would commence after the rainy season.
But there is an important distinction.
Approval of a road project is not the same as completion of a road project.
And work on one route does not automatically resolve problems on another.
Residents of Ikun are therefore entitled to know the precise status of each of the roads affecting the community.
THE QUESTIONS GOVERNMENT MUST ANSWER
The Pivot Online believes the complaints from Ikun deserve more than another round of political promises.
The relevant authorities should clearly state:
What is the current status of the Oba–Ikun–Afo–Idoani Road?
What intervention is planned for the Iwaro Oka–Ikun Road?
What is the status of the Ipe–Ikun Road?
Which agency or contractor is responsible for each project?
What are the commencement and completion timelines?
What immediate measures will be taken to keep the routes passable during the rainy season?
These are legitimate questions, particularly because the concerns have appeared repeatedly in public records and media reports over the years.
IKUN DESERVES MORE THAN PROMISES
Development cannot be measured only by the number of projects announced.
For rural communities, a functional road can determine whether a farmer gets produce to market, whether a trader can receive customers, whether a sick person can reach medical care and whether children and workers can travel safely.
Ikun Akoko cannot afford to remain a community that is easy to remember during election campaigns but difficult to reach when the rains arrive.
The residents’ demand is straightforward: make the roads motorable and keep them that way.
Government has announced interventions in the broader road network. The next test is implementation.
THE PIVOT ONLINE’S TAKE
The issue before government is no longer whether residents have complained.
They have. Repeatedly.
The issue is whether those complaints will finally translate into durable infrastructure.
For Ikun Akoko, the question is simple:
Is the community connected to the rest of Ondo State—or only connected when the weather permits?
THE PIVOT ONLINE
- Facts. Context. Accountability.