IBADAN : NEW ROADS, OLD HABITS
A drive through the city of Ibadan in recent times shows
there is much difference in the city.
The city is beginning to wear a new look; a look that befits
her status among the old regional capitals.
Ibadan is the capital and most populous city of Oyo State,
in Nigeria.
It is the third-largest city by population in Nigeria after
Lagos and Kano, with a total population of 3,649,000 as of 2021, and over 6
million people within its metropolitan area.
There are eleven (11) Local Governments in Ibadan consisting
of five urban local governments in the city and six semi-urban local
governments in the less city.
The economic activities of Ibadan include agriculture,
commerce, handicrafts, manufacturing, and service industries.
Although the city's farming population has declined, it is
still large for an urban area. Many cultivators are part-time farmers who
augment their earnings with other work.
The best method to move about the city is to use reference
points and notable landmarks.
Dugbe district is the commercial nerve center of Ibadan.
This is where many banks have one or more branches. The south west regional
office of the Central Bank of Nigeria is at Dugbe.
Also at Dugbe is the Cocoa House, Nigeria's first
skyscraper. It is one of the few skyscrapers in the city and is at the hub of
Ibadan's commercial center. The Cocoa house is the headquarters for the Oodua
Investment Company co-owned by all south-western states.
There is a museum in the building of the Institute of
African Studies, which exhibits several remarkable pre-historic bronze carvings
and statues.
The city has several well stocked libraries, and is home to
the first television station in Africa.
The city has two zoological gardens, one located within the
University of Ibadan and another at Agodi Gardens which also contains a
botanical garden, swimming pool and leisure spots.
The Bower's Tower, built in 1936, is to the east on Oke Aàre
(Aare's Hill), which can be seen from practically any point in the city. It
also provides an excellent view of the whole city from the top.
Other attractions include Mapo Hall the colonial style city
hall perched on top of a hill, "Oke Mapo". There are others like the
Trans-Wonderland amusement park, the Cultural Centre Mokola and the Obafemi
Awolowo Stadium (formerly Liberty Stadium).
The first citadel of higher learning, University of Ibadan
(formerly the University College of Ibadan), the Obafemi Awolowo Hall in the
University of Ibadan which is said to be one of the tallest and largest hostel
in West Africa grace the city and the first teaching hospital in Nigeria,
University College Hospital, were all built in this ancient city.
Ibadan is also home to the Shooting Stars FC , a professional
Football Club also known as 3SC.
There are some good golf courses the Ibadan Golf Club is a
large 18-hole challenge and the Barracks course has just been extended to 18
holes.
The most challenging and exclusive is the 9-hole IITA Golf
Club based on the 1,000 hectare premises of IITA.
Other higher educational institutions in the city include
The Polytechnic, Ibadan, Lead City University, First Technical University, Kola
Daisi University, Federal college of Animal health and Production Technology,
Federal College of Forestry, Highland College of Technology, Samonda, Federal
School of Statistics, Federal Cooperative College, Tower Polytechnic, Ibadan, Ibadan
City Polytechnic, Citigate Polytechnic, NIIT University among others.
The Nigerian Institute of Social and Economic Research
(NISER), the Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria, the National Root Crops
Research Institute, the Institute of Agricultural Research and Training
(IAR&T), the Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria, the Nigerian
Horticultural Research Institute (NIHORT), all add to Ibadan.
Ibadan was the capital of the old western region, the old
Oyo State and the present Oyo State.
Slums, shanties, dark spots and flash points grew everywhere
you went.
Bad roads were everywhere. Virtually every road was a death
trap. Taxis, buses, tricycles and motorcycles were parked haphazardly everywhere
and anywhere.
In the past few years the government has embarked on
rehabilitation and reconstruction of many roads.
Ibadan began to wear a new look.
Moving round the city is expected to be smooth and
convenient.
The aesthetics and ambience was already in view.
The effects of the new roads are however threatened by old
habits.
Buses and the ubiquitous “Micra” are no better. They gather
anywhere they will and don’t care if they impede traffic flow.
Tippers, trucks and other articulated vehicles are parked on
the roads (some permanently for weeks or even months) creating danger for other
road users and damaging the roads.
Mechanics even choose to make the newly tarred roads their
workshops.
The recalcitrant market men and women add their own. They
take up three quarters of the newly expanded roads with their wares. Vehicle
horns and shouting road users fall on their deaf ears.
Many shops, drinking joints, clubs and supermarkets don’t
have parking spaces so their customers park on the roads obstructing traffic.
Religious events and crusades even hold on the roads and
motorists have to look for alternative routes.
A walk through the major areas like Agodi-gate, Sango,
Mokola, Adegbayi, Alakia, Apata, Molete and many parts of the city shows the
roads have become impassable despite the efforts of the government.
Traffic control agencies and transport unions/park managers
seem helpless or even complacent.
The situation in Ibadan metropolis is common to many of our metropolitan
cities.
I got down at Berger in Lagos some months ago and it took me
almost an hour to get through the commotion.
The efforts of government are often rubbished by people
refusing to change from their old habits.
Governments at all levels need to develop the political will
to instill discipline in the citizens.
Old habits affecting government policies and efforts are a
great menace and prevent the actions of government from having the desired
results.
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