ADC governorship candidate promises to commence construction—not complete it—in his first 100 days
The promise by the Governorship candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Oyo State, Olooye Taofiq Adegboyega Adegoke, to commence construction of a railway linking Moniya in Ibadan to Saki in Oke-Ogun within his first 100 days in office has understandably attracted attention.
But there is an important clarification.
Adegoke did not say he would complete the entire railway within 100 days. His reported commitment was to commence construction within the first 100 days of assuming office in 2027.
That distinction matters.
Speaking to newsmen at his campaign office in Oke-Ado, Ibadan, Adegoke said he intends to wage a war against poverty in Oyo State through an economic plan capable of accelerating development within a limited period.
According to the ADC candidate, the multiplier effect of the proposed railway would strengthen the state's agricultural economy, create numerous jobs for youths and artisans, and improve the movement of people and goods across the state.
And frankly, the economic logic behind the proposal is not difficult to understand.
Oke-Ogun is one of Oyo State's major agricultural areas, while the Moniya corridor provides an important connection between Ibadan and the northern part of the state. The state government has previously described the Moniya-Iseyin corridor as strategically important to Oke-Ogun's agricultural economy and has invested heavily in road infrastructure along the route. A 65-kilometre Moniya-Ijaiye-Iseyin road was commissioned as part of efforts to improve economic integration and transportation in the region.
A railway could potentially take that connectivity further by providing an alternative and potentially more efficient means of transporting agricultural produce, passengers, raw materials and manufactured goods.
But Can Construction Actually Start Within 100 Days?
This is where the proposal deserves serious scrutiny—not necessarily ridicule.
Starting a major railway project is different from completing one. If Adegoke means that his administration would mobilise contractors, secure financing, complete or adopt the necessary studies and physically commence work within 100 days, that is the commitment that should be examined.
The real questions are: What would be constructed during those first 100 days? How much money would be available? Who would finance the project? Has a feasibility study been undertaken? What route would the railway follow? And would the project be financed entirely by Oyo State or through a public-private partnership, development-finance institution or other long-term financing arrangement?
A new Moniya-Saki railway could potentially run approximately 150–170 kilometres depending on the final alignment. Using benchmarks from major Nigerian railway projects, a project of this scale could potentially require around ₦1.5 trillion, although that is only a preliminary planning estimate and not an official project cost. The actual figure would depend on the railway gauge, track specification, stations, bridges, signalling, rolling stock, land acquisition, engineering requirements and other factors.
Can Oyo State Pay for It?
This is arguably the biggest question.
Oyo State has significant financial resources, but ₦1.5 trillion is an enormous sum relative to the state's internally generated revenue.
For example, the state's 2025 third-quarter budget performance report put approved Internally Generated Revenue at ₦143.19 billion, with ₦63.63 billion realised by the end of the third quarter. The same report budgeted capital receipts of about ₦339.62 billion.
That does not mean Oyo cannot undertake a railway project of this magnitude. It means that the state would almost certainly need a substantial financing structure rather than attempting to pay for the entire project from ordinary annual revenue.
Long-term infrastructure financing, borrowing, private-sector participation, federal collaboration or development-finance funding could potentially provide the necessary capital.
There is also no longer a simple constitutional argument that a state cannot build its own railway. The 2023 Fifth Alteration moved railways from the Exclusive Legislative List to the Concurrent Legislative List and expressly gives a State House of Assembly power to legislate for the establishment, operation and maintenance of a state railway carrier, including railway tracks and infrastructure within the state.
So the question is no longer simply “Can Oyo legally build a railway?”
The more relevant question is:
“Can Oyo secure the money, approvals, technical preparation and contractual arrangements necessary to physically commence one within 100 days?”
Adegoke's proposal should therefore be judged on its details rather than on a claim he did not make.
He did not promise to complete Moniya-Saki in 100 days.
He promised to commence construction within 100 days.
That is still an ambitious pledge—but it is a very different pledge.
And perhaps the fairest challenge to the ADC candidate is not to call him a liar, but to ask him to publish the blueprint: the route, estimated cost, funding model, feasibility status, contractors, financing partners, commencement milestones and expected completion date.
If those details exist, voters can properly assess the proposal.
If they do not, then the 100-day promise remains exactly what it currently is: an ambitious campaign commitment waiting to be converted into a detailed, financially credible infrastructure plan.
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