By Oyo Amebo
Under the leadership of Honourable Ademola Omotoso as the Chairman of the Oyo State Housing Corporation, Governor Seyi Makinde’s resolve to rejuvenate urban spaces across Oyo State has moved from policy declaration to visible reality.
The administration’s belief that cities must be deliberately shaped, not casually endured, is being tested and affirmed in Olubadan Estate, where long-standing neglect is giving way to order, clarity and renewed civic purpose.
For years, Olubadan Estate reflected the quiet consequences of institutional withdrawal. Encroachments appeared gradually, commercial activities expanded without guidance, and boundaries designed to give the district coherence were slowly eroded.
What was once a planned urban environment became a negotiated space, shaped more by persistence than by policy. The decline was neither sudden nor dramatic, but it was thorough enough to persuade many that recovery would be too contentious to pursue.
That assumption has been firmly challenged. With the backing of Governor Makinde’s broader urban renewal agenda, Omotoso has approached Olubadan Estate not as a political burden but as a civic obligation.
His leadership has been marked by restraint and clarity, favouring process over spectacle and consistency over confrontation. The objective has never been to dramatise authority, but to re-establish it where it had quietly faded.
The task, however, extended beyond reclaiming land. It required restoring meaning to public space in a way that acknowledged the realities of urban life. The proximity of Gbagi Market brought economic vibrancy, but in the absence of structure it also introduced congestion, environmental pressure and spatial confusion.
Rather than suppressing this activity, the current approach seeks to organise it, ensuring that commerce thrives within defined limits while residential life regains balance and dignity.
Engagement has been central to the process. Notices were issued transparently, consultations held with affected parties, and enforcement carried out within the bounds of law.
In an environment long accustomed to ambiguity, the return of clear procedure has been transformative. Public land is once again being treated as a shared trust, protected not by force but by consistency and due process.
Crucially, the redevelopment of Olubadan Estate is not being shaped as an exclusive enclave. The vision accommodates civil servants, traders, artisans, professionals, families and retirees within a modern, orderly environment.
This inclusiveness reflects the Makinde administration’s people-centred philosophy and Omotoso’s conviction that urban renewal must serve diverse social realities without sacrificing structure.
Infrastructure forms the backbone of the transformation. Drainage systems are being designed to withstand contemporary climate demands, addressing problems long ignored.
Power supply is being strengthened with sustainability in view, while waste management is treated as an essential public service rather than an afterthought.
Public green spaces are planned to humanise density, and security combines technology with coordinated human oversight. Each intervention prioritises function, durability and dignity over cosmetic appeal.
The economic impact is already becoming visible. Construction activity has generated employment, local artisans and suppliers are engaged, and investor interest is cautiously returning.
Property values in neighbouring areas are responding, suggesting that restored order carries economic value beyond the estate’s immediate boundaries.
This external progress mirrors internal reform within the Oyo State Housing Corporation itself. Under Omotoso’s chairmanship, administrative systems have been modernised, records digitised and accountability strengthened.
Revenue performance has improved, and the success of developments such as Ajoda New Town Estate underscores that these reforms are translating into concrete outcomes rather than remaining aspirational.
Challenges remain, from resistance to enforcement to broader economic uncertainties. Yet the response has been steady and measured, anchored in the belief that urban recovery is a process rather than an event, and that integrity offers greater resilience than expediency.
As Olubadan Estate steadily reclaims its identity, it stands as a living expression of the synergy between Governor Makinde’s political will and Omotoso’s administrative discipline.
It affirms that when vision is matched with execution, cities can recover their order, their confidence and their future. In this shared resolve, Ibadan is being reminded that decline is never inevitable, and that renewal, when pursued with intention, remains entirely within reach.
