The traditional ruler of Imeko in Ogun State, Oba Benjamin Gbadegẹṣin Alabi Oyeditan-Olanite, has appealed to President Bola Tinubu to urgently rehabilitate the 70-kilometre Abeokuta-Imeko Federal Highway, saying that its deteriorating condition is hurting agricultural trade, raising transport costs and undermining border security.

In an open letter to the President, the monarch described the road, which connects communities in Ogun State to the Nigeria-Benin Republic border, as a vital economic corridor that has become a source of hardship for residents, farmers and commercial transport operators.

He said the deplorable condition of the Abeokuta Roundabout-Olorunda-Imeko section had made the movement of people and goods increasingly difficult, with serious implications for livelihoods and economic activities in the border communities.

According to the monarch, farmers in the agrarian communities along the route face difficulties transporting harvested produce to major markets, while transport operators spend more on vehicle repairs because of the damaged road. The additional costs, he said, are eventually transferred to passengers and consumers through higher fares and commodity prices.

Oba Oyeditan-Olanite also expressed concern that the road’s condition could delay access to medical care during emergencies and impede the movement of security personnel responsible for protecting the country’s western border.

To underscore the Federal Government’s responsibility for the highway, the monarch cited the Federal Highways (Declaration) Order 1977, published as Legal Notice No. 60 in the Federal Republic of Nigeria Gazette No. 58, Volume 64.

He said the legal instrument designated Highway F.102, running from Sagamu through Abeokuta to Imeko and the Benin Republic boundary, as a federal trunk road, with its commencement date stated as October 1, 1974.

The monarch acknowledged the recent palliative repairs facilitated by the senator representing Ogun West, Adeola Solomon Olamilekan, popularly known as Yayi, saying the intervention had provided relief to road users.

However, he stressed that the repairs could not address the extensive damage along the entire stretch, adding that temporary patching was insufficient to restore the highway to a safe and serviceable condition.

He, therefore, called for a comprehensive reconstruction project, supported by adequate funding and proper drainage infrastructure, to prevent further deterioration and provide a lasting solution to the road’s problems.

Oba Oyeditan-Olanite, while aligning his appeal with the infrastructure development objectives of the Tinubu administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda, urged the President to direct the Federal Ministry of Works to conduct an immediate technical assessment of the highway and commence the process of its full rehabilitation.

He said rehabilitating the road would ease the movement of agricultural produce, reduce transportation costs, improve access to essential services and strengthen security operations along the border.

The monarch added that a lasting solution to the highway’s problems would not only stimulate economic activities across the affected communities but also demonstrate Federal Government’s commitment to the welfare of residents in the border areas.