Ilorin South Community Road Faces Collapse as Erosion Threatens Homes, Businesses

Residents of Ero Omo-Kilanko-Biada community in Ilorin South Local Government Area of Kwara State have appealed to Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq to urgently rehabilitate their deteriorating access road, warning that severe erosion and deep gullies are threatening residential buildings, disrupting commercial activities and could completely cut off the community during the next rainy season.

The residents, who spoke with journalists, described the road as almost impassable, lamenting that its deplorable condition had made movement difficult for motorists and commercial motorcyclists. They said some vehicle owners had been forced to abandon their cars elsewhere and resort to alternative routes to access their homes.

They also called for the construction of adequate drainage infrastructure to control the erosion, prevent further deterioration of the road and protect properties located along the affected stretch.

A businessman in the community, Mr Temitope Olayemi, said the condition of the road had significantly affected commercial activities, as vehicles and motorcycles could no longer move conveniently within the area.

“We are not happy with the condition of this road because it affects so many things, especially those of us who have businesses here. Vehicles and motorcycles can no longer ply the road conveniently.

“Our businesses are suffering because of this situation. We are appealing to the government to come to our assistance by rehabilitating the road,” he said.

Similarly, a businesswoman, Mrs Tosin Araoye, described the situation as frustrating, explaining that the poor accessibility had disrupted the supply of essential commodities, particularly sachet water, to her shop.

According to her, distributors now abandon their products along the expressway because their delivery vehicles cannot access the community, leaving traders with the additional burden of manually transporting the goods to their shops.

“Vehicles no longer come into the community to supply water to us. They drop the water by the expressway, and we have to go there and carry it on our heads down to our shops.

“This is affecting our businesses seriously. The road links to NTA and other places, and we are appealing to the government to come to our rescue so that our businesses can continue to thrive,” she said.

Another businessman, Mr Segun John, said the deterioration had become so severe that he could no longer drive his vehicle into the community, adding that the situation had adversely affected his business operations.

He appealed to the state government to intervene urgently before the road became completely inaccessible.

Commercial motorcyclists operating in the area have also raised concerns over the deteriorating condition of the road, saying deep gullies created by erosion had made it increasingly difficult to convey passengers into the community.

One of the operators, Mr Emmanuel Adeniyi, said riders were frequently compelled to drop passengers before reaching the worst-affected sections of the road, a situation that had reduced their earnings and subjected commuters to additional inconvenience.

He appealed to the government to rehabilitate the road, stressing that its condition was increasingly affecting the livelihood of commercial motorcyclists and the daily movement of residents.

Another operator, Mr Femi Abodurin, described the road as extremely deplorable, warning that continued neglect could completely cut off the community during the next rainy season.

“The road is terribly bad and needs urgent attention. There is no way to drive into that place. Residents feel bad because of the condition of the road. When they have loads to take home on motorcycles, it is almost impossible because of the bad road and gully erosion,” he said.

Abodurin further expressed concern that the erosion was threatening a residential building opposite the affected section of the road, warning that failure to address the problem could result in further damage to nearby properties.

While acknowledging the state government’s ongoing rehabilitation of Kilanko Road, he appealed to the authorities to extend similar intervention to other roads linking communities in the area.

“We appreciate the state government for the ongoing rehabilitation of Kilanko Road, but this road leading to other communities is very bad and needs urgent attention.

“If next year’s rainfall is anything like what we experienced this year, there may be no way to pass through the road. Even motorcycles cannot pass through, and pedestrians have to be very careful because of the gully erosion.

“The bad road is seriously affecting our businesses. Even motorcycles cannot ply it, let alone vehicles. Some residents who own cars have parked them elsewhere because there is no way they can drive to their homes,” he added.

The Secretary of the Ero Omo-Kilanko-Biada Community Association, Mallam Saka Abdulkadir, also appealed to Governor AbdulRazaq to rehabilitate the road and provide adequate drainage facilities, noting that the route serves several communities and remains critical to residents’ daily activities.

He said the worsening condition of the road had made it increasingly difficult for residents, particularly vehicle owners, to access their homes without taking alternative routes.

“We are appealing to the state government to ensure that this road is put in good condition so that our members can access their homes without difficulty.

“Those who own vehicles have had to resort to other routes because of the condition of the road. We also want businesses in the community to thrive again,” Abdulkadir said.

The residents’ appeal comes against the backdrop of an earlier assurance by the Kwara State Government that it would soon commence rehabilitation of Kilanko Road in the Offa Garage area of Ilorin, as well as the Gaa Akanbi-Danialu-University of Ilorin road corridor.

The then Commissioner for Works, Engr. Qowiyu Olododo, gave the assurance during the state’s third-quarter inter-ministerial briefing in Ilorin, disclosing that engineers from the ministry had visited the affected locations to assess the extent of deterioration and prepare appropriate reconstruction and drainage designs.

“Our engineers have visited the Kilanko area, and we are reviewing the design that will suit the terrain. I want to assure residents that very soon, once a decision is made, the people will be duly informed,” Olododo said.

He also disclosed that a similar assessment was being conducted on the Gaa Akanbi-Danialu-University of Ilorin road corridor, which had equally attracted complaints from residents and motorists.

Olododo further stated that the AbdulRazaq administration had constructed more than 300 kilometres of roads across the state since assuming office in 2019, urging communities with roads requiring attention to formally approach the Ministry of Works for consideration in subsequent rehabilitation programmes.

However, residents of Ero Omo-Kilanko-Biada say their road remains in urgent need of government intervention, warning that further delays could worsen the erosion, expose nearby residential buildings to greater danger and disrupt access to several communities, particularly during the next rainy season.