At 82, Olubadan Ladoja turns reign into rewards for Ibadan, secures N300bn Ibadan-Ijebu Ode dualisation, Kudeti channelization from Tinubu
By Demola Babalola
For Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Adewolu Ladoja, Arusa I, is proving that royalty is not just about the crown — it is about the people.
As the Olubadan of Ibadanland clocks 82 today, Friday, September 25, 2026, marking also his first anniversary on the throne of his forebears, the city has more than a birthday to celebrate. It has a reign that is already translating into concrete, kilometres of asphalt, and billions of naira in federal projects.
The monarch, who opted for a low-key celebration and is presently in Saudi Arabia on lesser Hajj to thank Almighty Allah for peace and grace in his first year, has turned his decades-long friendship with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu into a development pipeline for Ibadanland.
And the results are unprecedented. In just twelve months on the throne, Oba Ladoja has facilitated two landmark federal interventions: The reconstruction and full dualisation of the strategic Ibadan-Ijebu-Ode Road, flagged off four weeks ago, at a cost of over N296 billion.
Presidency sources confirm the project was personally facilitated by Kabiyesi Olubadan and approved by President Tinubu in honour of his reign and long-time friendship.
The long-awaited channelisation of Kudeti River — a project dear to the heart of the Olubadan and critical to flood control in Ibadan has now been approved through the Ecological Fund Office under the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume.
“The road was facilitated by Oba Ladoja through his friend and father of the nation, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” a presidency source said on Thursday.
“Kabiyesi personally took the Kudeti proposal to the SGF. It has now been captured. At 82, his love for Ibadanland is unparalleled.”
The move is being hailed as unprecedented in the history of Ibadan’s traditional institution — a monarch who lobbies not for himself, but for his people.
Beyond bricks and mortar, Oba Ladoja has launched sweeping reforms to reposition Ibadan as a secure, investment-friendly megacity.
On Land Security, he inaugurated a Special Anti-Land Grabbing Legal Committee led by legal giants Chief Niyi Akintola (SAN) and Musibau Adetunbi (SAN), with a proposal for Local Governments to enact bye-laws under the Land Use Act to create special tribunals for fast-track trial of grabbers. The palace has warned that any Mogaji or Baale found aiding grabbers will face removal.
He constituted the Olubadan Economic and Investment Committee chaired by former Minister of Industry, Chief Onikepo Akande, with former Head of Service, Prof. Oladapo Afolabi as co-chairman. Its mandate is to revive Ibadan’s dead industrial giants — Leyland, Exide Battery, Wire and Cable, Isoglass, Ferodo — and create thousands of jobs for youths.
On food and empowerment, Oba Ladoja’s initiatives include Gaari Ibadan and community farming geared towards boosting food security and youth self-reliance.
At 82, Oba Ladoja is not resting on his oars. He has called for prayers for Ibadanland, Oyo State, Yorubaland and Nigeria.
For Ibadan residents, the message is clear: their king does not just wear the crown, he uses it. And for President Tinubu, the Ibadan projects reaffirm a leader who values friendship, respects the traditional institution, and rewards a city that has always stood with him.
Indeed, the Olubadan’s 82nd birthday is not just a celebration of age — it is a celebration of purposeful royalty.
…Babalola is the immediate past Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Oyo State Council
