Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, has approved the construction of the J4-Gao Road in Ogun Waterside Local Government Area as part of efforts to open up the area and provide critical infrastructure for emerging investments.
Abiodun disclosed this on Wednesday at an All Progressives Congress (APC) stakeholders’ engagement meeting held in Ibiade, the headquarters of Ogun Waterside Local Government Area.
The governor said the decision to construct the road was informed by the strategic importance of Ogun Waterside to the state’s emerging economic and industrial landscape, noting that the area had suffered prolonged neglect under successive administrations.
He also disclosed that the Federal Government had approved the construction of a four-kilometre bridge linking Ogun Waterside to the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway.
According to him, the proposed bridge, alongside the J4-Gao Road, would improve accessibility to the area and support the development of major investments planned for the axis.
Abiodun said the infrastructure projects would complement the Gateway Deep Sea Port and the Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) project, which he said would significantly transform the economic profile of Ogun Waterside.
The governor expressed appreciation to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for supporting the development of the Deep Sea Port and other strategic projects in the area, saying the investments would position Ogun as a major energy, maritime and international trade hub.
He announced that the groundbreaking ceremony for the Deep Sea Port had been scheduled for November, with construction expected to commence before the end of the year and be completed by 2030.
Abiodun said the port project was the outcome of sustained efforts by his administration to create an enabling environment for large-scale investments through infrastructure and policy interventions.
He added that the Deep Sea Port and related investments would create significant employment and business opportunities for residents, particularly youths in Ogun Waterside.
The governor therefore urged young people in the area to acquire relevant skills and competencies to take advantage of opportunities that would arise from the projects.
“These projects will change the economic fortunes of Ogun Waterside. Our young people must begin to prepare themselves now to take advantage of the opportunities that will come with these investments,” he said.
Abiodun projected that the strategic investments would generate more than 50,000 direct employment opportunities, with additional prospects across logistics, transportation, construction, hospitality, manufacturing and other sectors.
He said the Deep Sea Port would complement Ogun’s growing industrial base and strategic position within the Lagos-Ogun economic corridor, further strengthening the state’s reputation as Nigeria’s industrial capital.
The governor also described Ogun Waterside as strategically important to the state, noting that the local government has 126 polling units and about 62,000 registered voters.
He urged residents and APC members to remain united and sustain their support for the party ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Abiodun called on party members to intensify mobilisation and support APC candidates across the ballot, from the presidential election to the State House of Assembly.
Speaking at the event, the APC Presidential and Governorship Campaign Director-General, Senator Lekan Mustapha, urged residents to protect the development gains recorded in the area under the APC-led government.
Mustapha cautioned residents against making political choices that could jeopardise ongoing development projects, urging them to remain committed to the party and its candidates in 2027.
Also speaking, a former Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Prof. Segun Awonusi, commended Abiodun for his role in driving development in Ogun Waterside.
Awonusi expressed confidence that residents of the area would reciprocate the administration’s interventions with strong support for the APC in the 2027 elections.
