Since taking office in November 2024, Governor Monday Okpebholo has rapidly positioned himself as a transformative leader in Edo State, delivering infrastructure projects at a pace and scale that many, both at home and diaspora, have commended as exceeding previous administrations’.

Under the leadership of Governor Okpebholo, roads, bridges, health centres, energy partnerships, and urban infrastructure have been thrust into the spotlight, marking an ambitious push to make Edo an attractive destination for investment, comfort, and connectivity.

The facts and records speak for themselves that the Governor Okpebholo administration inherited a state of widespread infrastructure decay. Roads were dilapidated or blocked; critical links between communities were failing; many public health and school buildings needed repair or replacement.

All this infrastructural decay is attributed to the neglect of his predecessor, whereby many contracts were poorly documented or left incomplete, leaving large bills without corresponding visible results. The commissioning of the uncompleted Stella Obasanjo Hospital by the former administration of Governor Obaseki is a good example of the infrastructural decay that Edo State was thrown into.

Soon after Governor Okpebholo was sworn into office, he took Edo people by surprise when he flagged off the construction of the first ever record-breaking flyover at Ramat Park, Ikpoba Hill in Benin City, the Edo State capital. The flyover is now at 60% completion stage.

Also, to the admiration of Edolites, the people’s action governor flagged off the construction of a second flyover at Adesuwa Junction, Sapele Road, Benin City. Work has now commenced at the Adesuwa Junction flyover. This feat by Okpebholo’s administration is something that has never happened in the history of Edo State since it was created in August 1991.

These historic flyovers when completed will help to reduce congestion, ease flow of traffic and modernize Benin City’s transport layout as Edo State is the gateway between the North and the South, East and West, as well as South and the Western regions of Nigeria.

Other notable roads that the Okpebholo administration is massively reconstructing include the Benin-Sapele-Warri Road, Benin-Agbor-Asaba Road with durable concrete specifications, Benin-Ekpoma-Auchi Road/Ujuelen stretch repairs and reconstruction, Utako-Unewa-Eworah-Uromi Road (36 km in Edo Central), Upper Mission Road, Benin-Auchi Road (Obadan Junction to Iruekpen), Uromi-Onewa-Udomi-Ibhiolulu-Afuda-Idumoza Road, etc. Governor Okpebholo equally supervises the rehabilitation and upgrade of these failed/critical roads because these are heavily used routes. So upgrading them reduces travel time, cost, and improves safety.

The record-breaking infrastructure that the Okpebholo administration is embarking on will help stimulate economic growth, as better roads and connectivity lower transportation costs, open up markets for goods, and attract investment. It will also improve access to healthcare and underserved regions to enhance quality of life.

Similarly, the flyovers, drainage works, and the concrete work being done on major roads will bring about better public transport, ease urban congestion and improve city livability. These laudable projects will also increase high expectations from citizens, and as successes build, public demand for accountability and visibility of results also rises.

Governor Okpebholo’s track record in infrastructure so far is ambitious. He is not merely promising change, he is delivering multiple projects simultaneously, many in sectors (roads, health, energy) that have immediate and visible impact.

With the constant supervision and monitoring of these laudable record-breaking projects by Governor Okpebholo, Edo people are sure of quality work and improvement in infrastructure across the state.