I won’t let Tinubu rest over Ilesha road —Umahi

•Says project faces over 100% funding deficit

•FEC targets $100bn investment, two million jobs with new Creative Tourism Corporation

The Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, has vowed to persistently press President Bola Ahmed Tinubu until the federal government provides the necessary funds to reconstruct the Ibadan-Ife-Ilesha Road.

Speaking in Abuja, Umahi described the road as critical infrastructure that urgently requires attention due to its deplorable condition, which has severely affected commuters along the axis.

He acknowledged that existing government funding is inadequate to meet the road’s reconstruction demands, but pledged to keep pushing the President for financial intervention.

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“The road is in a very bad state,” Umahi said. “We’ve had to seek palliative measures just to keep it motorable.”

He noted that while the Ibadan-Ilesha road was already identified in official reports as a key federal road in disrepair, it was further brought to his attention by the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu.

“Even before the matter came up at the Federal Executive Council (FEC), the First Lady personally called me and urged that we inspect the road due to the suffering of Nigerians using that corridor,” he said.

According to the minister, only N70 billion has been allocated to the project between 2003 and 2025, an amount he described as grossly inadequate.

He further explained that the ministry has aggregated the Ibadan-Ilesha Road with other major corridors such as the Ilesha-Akure-Benin Road (already awarded for N751 billion) and the Ore-Benin Road, presenting the combined stretch to the FEC for funding intervention.

“These roads are in terrible condition. What we’re doing for now is applying available funds for palliative works, while seeking permanent financing for full-scale reconstruction,” Umahi stated.

“I want to assure Nigerians that I will not allow Mr. President to rest until he gives me the money to fix this road. And I believe he will,” the minister added.

The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved the establishment of the Creative and Tourism Infrastructure Corporation (CTICo), with a projected $100 billion investment target and the potential to create over two million jobs across Nigeria.

Additionally, the Council approved the Creative Economy Development Fund (CEDF), the implementation of the Intellectual Property (IP) Monetisation Pilot, and the Creative Leap Acceleration Programme (CLAP)—a digital platform designed to support creative enterprises with funding, creative technology, and co-working spaces.

Minister of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy, Barrister Hannatu Musa Musawa, disclosed this during the 2025 Ministerial Press Briefing in Abuja on Friday. She noted that the ministry had attracted $200 million in investment commitments over the past 18 months.