The Oyo State Government has disbursed over N5.35 billion in compensation to 578 property owners affected by the First Segment of the Ibadan Circular Road Project.

This marks a major milestone in the implementation of one of the state most ambitious infrastructure projects and reaffirming Governor Seyi Makinde commitment to balancing development with the protection of citizens interests.

Providing an update on the compensation exercise, the governor’s Executive Adviser on New Towns and Cities, Mrs Mofoluke Adebiyi, said the state government had recorded substantial progress in the payment process, with hundreds of affected property owners across both the Right of Way and Omission categories already receiving their approved compensation.

This was contained in a statement issued by Makinde Special Adviser on Media, Sulaimon Olarenwaju, in Ibadan, the state capital, on Sunday.

The statement explained that the first segment of the Ibadan Circular Road spans 32.2 kilometres, stretching from the Abiola Ajimobi Technical University axis on the Lagos Ibadan Expressway in the Oluyole Local Government Area, through Ona Ara LGA, and terminating at Badeku Junction on the Ibadan Ife Expressway in Egbeda LGA. The road is expected to ease traffic and open up new areas for development.

Affected properties along the corridor fall into two categories: Right of Way and Omission. Under the Right of Way category, which comprises properties located within 75 metres on either side of the road median, a total of 674 structures were enumerated.

Governor Makinde had approved a reduction of the initial setback from 150 metres to 75 metres in clustered and built up areas following appeals and concerns expressed by residents across the affected local government areas.

To compensate affected owners in this category, Governor Makinde approved the sum of N3,862,151,322.20. So far, 411 claimants have appeared before the screening committee and have been screened, while 378 claimants have successfully executed their Deeds of Indemnity, secured clearance and received their compensation payments.

The government said the screening was meant to confirm ownership and ensure that payments went to the right beneficiaries.

The Omission category consists of individuals who claimed that their properties were affected by the project without prior enumeration or compensation.

In response, the Oyo State New Towns and Cities Development Authority, in collaboration with the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development and the Office of the Surveyor General, conducted a fresh enumeration exercise, which identified 251 affected structures. Following the exercise, Governor Makinde approved N1,813,954,100.00 as compensation for property owners under the omission category.

Records show that 216 property owners have appeared before the Monitoring Team on Payment of Compensation Screening Committee, while 200 claimants who completed the required documentation and executed their Deeds of Indemnity have been cleared and paid a total of N1,493,784,700.00 as compensation. In total, 578 property owners across both categories have received compensation payments, representing significant progress in the administration determination to ensure that those affected by the project are adequately compensated.

Adebiyi noted that some claimants were yet to appear for screening, while a few had payment issues due to mismatch in names and bank details.

Adebiyi further stated that the compensation exercise remained ongoing and that the government is committed to ensuring that all eligible claimants who satisfy the stipulated requirements receive their payments.

The statement added that the payment of over N5.35 billion in compensation reflects the administration resolve to ensure that development proceeds hand in hand with fairness, accountability and responsible governance.

The government urged remaining claimants to come forward with the required documents to complete their claims.