On a humid Monday in Ughelli, jubilation rippled through the crowd as Delta State Governor, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, performed the ground-breaking for what many residents consider long-awaited relief: the ₦39.3 billion Otovwodo Flyover.

For decades, the Otovwodo Junction, astride the vital East–West Road, has been synonymous with gridlock, frayed nerves and lost hours. Travellers and residents lost man hours due to the gridlock. On that day, however, hope took tangible form in concrete, steel and a firm promise that the chokehold on Ughelli’s traffic arteries would finally be loosened.

Oborevwori described the flyover as a permanent solution to a problem he knows personally, recalling his own frustrating encounters with the notorious gridlock. Ughelli, he noted, is a historic commercial and educational hub whose rapid population growth has far outpaced its road infrastructure.

The Otovwodo project, therefore, is more than a transport intervention; it is a statement of intent under his MORE Agenda, anchored on prudent resource allocation, durable construction and the opening of corridors that allow people to live, work and trade with dignity.

Even before the main project, the administration moved to ease the pressure. Nearly ₦6 billion was spent constructing alternative routes at Uduere Street, Okogbe Street, Oru Street, Edo Street and Royal Avenue linking Agbarha-Otor Road, an interim strategy to unclog traffic ahead of the flyover’s construction. Now awarded to Julius Berger Nigeria Plc, the flyover is expected to be delivered within 12 months, a timeline the governor insists is non-negotiable given the junction’s strategic importance.

Technically ambitious, the project features a 15-span reinforced concrete bridge with dual carriageways, roundabouts, connecting roads, specialised drainage systems and solar-powered street lighting. Its impact, officials say, will be immediate and enduring: reduced travel time, improved road safety and a measurable boost to economic activity. Thousands of direct and indirect jobs are also expected across the construction value chain, injecting income into households while reshaping Ughelli’s skyline and daily rhythm.

The symbolism of the day extended beyond the construction site. After the groundbreaking, Governor Oborevwori paid courtesy visits to the Ovie of Ughelli Kingdom, His Royal Majesty Wilson Ojakovo, Oharisi III, and to industrialist, Chief Morrison Olori, founder of the Ukodo Nation. At the palace, the monarch, speaking through the Otota, Chief Peter Akpofure, the Ughelli monarch hailed the flyover as a landmark intervention that would permanently transform Ughelli into a modern metropolis. He commended the Governor for the completed roads around the Otovwodo axis and other traffic-easing projects, offering prayers and pledging the kingdom’s loyalty and cooperation.

Local leaders echoed the optimism. Ughelli North Council Chairman, Hon. Jaro Egbo, described the project as transformative and long overdue, while appealing for additional internal roads and complementary infrastructure. The chorus of commendation reflected a shared belief that the flyover marks a turning point, proof that long-standing urban challenges can be met with decisive and well-planned action.

Yet, the story of Delta under Oborevwori extends well beyond concrete and flyovers. While traffic flow is being re-engineered in Ughelli, the administration is recalibrating the state’s economic engine. In Asaba, the governor signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Bank of Industry (BoI) to manage a ₦1 billion revolving loan fund for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) released to the Bank by the State Government. Approved by the State Executive Council in 2025, the initiative tackles a perennial barrier to growth: access to affordable finance.

For Oborevwori, MSMEs are not a slogan but the backbone of the economy, employing the largest share of the workforce and driving grassroots prosperity. By providing single-digit interest loans to traders, artisans, agro-processors and small manufacturers, the state aims to unlock expansion, job creation and resilience. The revolving nature of the fund is deliberate, repayment ensures sustainability and allows others to benefit, reinforcing discipline and accountability.

Choosing the Bank of Industry to manage the scheme was strategic. As Nigeria’s premier development finance institution, BoI brings rigorous credit appraisal, governance safeguards and business support services that extend beyond capital. If successfully managed, the governor said, the fund could scale to ₦10 billion, ₦20 billion or more, transforming a pilot programme into a powerful engine for private-sector growth. BoI’s Managing Director, Dr. Olasupo Olusi, described the partnership as a practical translation of policy into opportunity.
Private investors appear to share that confidence.

Business mogul and Cubana Group Chairman, Chief Obinna Iyiegbu, popularly known as Obi Cubana, recently visited the Governor, Rt Hon Sheriff Oborevwori at Government House, Asaba, alongside Pastor Jerry Eze of Streams of Joy International, to dedicate the Cubana Millennium City Asaba project.

In a widely circulated post, Iyiegbu praised Oborevwori’s God-fearing and development-oriented leadership, declaring that Delta State is “in very good hands,” and assuring that the first phase of the premium mixed-use development would be ready for occupation by December 2026.

As infrastructure expands and capital is mobilised, the administration has also strengthened a critical but often understated pillar of governance: traditional institutions. In a gesture underscoring their centrality, Governor Oborevwori presented 65 brand new Sports Utility Vehicles, 60 Toyota Prados and five Land Cruisers SUVs to traditional rulers across the state. Secretary of the Traditional Rulers Council, was also given a brand new Toyota Hilux. The intervention, he said, was both symbolic and practical, aimed at enhancing peace-building, security collaboration and grassroots governance.

Drawing from his grassroots political experience, the governor noted that traditional rulers are far more than custodians of culture. They are frontline actors in conflict resolution and community mobilisation, helping to make governance more effective. The vehicles, he stressed, were “tools of service,” chosen for durability given the challenging terrains many royal fathers traverse. The gesture aligned with the MORE Agenda’s emphasis on inclusive governance and opportunities for all.

Oborevwori also highlighted social interventions that have touched hundreds of thousands of vulnerable persons under the DCARES Programme, grants to petty traders and artisans, empowerment initiatives for women and youths, monthly stipends for 10,000 widows, improved workers’ welfare, prompt pension payments and sustained scholarship and bursary schemes. His message was clear: development must be broad-based, leaving no segment of society behind.

Taken together—urban mobilityMSME financing, investor confidence and empowered traditional institutions, these strands form a coherent narrative of governance. The flyover reduces daily friction that stifles productivity; the MSME fund enables citizens to create value; private investment amplifies growth prospects; and strengthened traditional institutions anchor peace at the grassroots. Underpinning all is the governor’s insistence on transparency, fiscal discipline and results, executing major projects without borrowing while signalling more commissions and flag-offs ahead.

Beyond development milestones, the administration has also demonstrated reverence for national service and sacrifice. At the 2026 Armed Forces Remembrance Day ceremony in Asaba, Governor Oborevwori joined other top government officials, security chiefs and stakeholders in laying wreaths in honour of Nigeria’s fallen heroes.

The solemn annual event is dedicated to remembering members of the Armed Forces who paid the supreme price in defence of the nation’s sovereignty, unity and peace, as well as veterans who continue to bear the scars of service. His presence underscored the state government’s deep appreciation of their sacrifice and its commitment to the enduring values of patriotism, courage and selfless service.

In Ughelli, the promise is simple yet profound: fewer hours lost in traffic, safer roads and a city repositioned for the future. Across Delta State, the broader pledge is opportunity, flowing roads, accessible capital and a governance model that works for more people.

As concrete is poured at Otovwodo, loans reach small businesses, traditional rulers gain the tools to serve better and fallen heroes are solemnly remembered, Oborevwori’s vision is being tested in real time. For many Deltans, the hope is that this path, delivering without borrowing, will endure long after the jubilation fades, reshaping daily life and the state’s destiny.