Residents of Alagbon Odetunde, a suburb in Bode Saadu, Moro Local Government Area of Kwara State, have commended the state government for the ongoing construction of the major road in the community.

Some residents, who spoke on Tuesday during a media tour of the town, said they had been living in pest-infested homes and had no access to good roads before the road construction intervention.

They stated that due to the lack of good roads to their farms, commercial activities were stalled, and farm produce was wasted due to inadequate road networks accessing the market.

The community leader, Mogaji Alagbon Odetunde, Ahmadu Ayinde, said before the ongoing road construction, there were few to no vehicular movements in the community.

He said, “Cars did not often pass through our community before now because we had pathways. But after the government started the road intervention, we now have more vehicular movements, and our community is bustling. Farmers are able to take their farm produce to the market, and commercial activities are gradually taking place in the community. We appreciate the state government for the intervention, and we want people to come and invest in our community.’’

Similarly, a trader, Kudirat Abdulfatai, said she had been a resident in the community for seven years.

Ms Abdulfatai stated that before the road construction, transportation to the market cost ₦1,000, but it now costs ₦500 to and from the market.

“Before now, we walked through pathways, and rats, reptiles, and other pests invaded our homes. But when the road construction reached our community, we became free from these pests; our rooms are neater, and our environment is cleaner. We really appreciate the government for remembering us and allowing a major road to pass through our community,” she said.

A community youth leader, Sulaiman Odetunde, while appreciating the government, called on investors to set up businesses in the community, especially in the commercial, industrial, and educational sectors.

“We want people to come and invest in our community. There is a good road now, and we have vast land areas for investors. We also desire a higher institution in our community; we are a very accommodating people,” he said.

In February 2024, Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, while inspecting the road construction, described the infrastructural development as a transformative milestone.

Mr AbdulRazaq said the development would significantly boost Nigeria’s economy and strengthen regional trade under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

The road, which cuts across agrarian and border communities in the state, connects Nigeria to the Republic of Benin and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) sub-region.

(NAN)