The Oyo State Government today disclosed that the N30 billion released by the Federal Government as intervention funds to rehabilitate survivors of the January 16, 2024 Bodija explosion in Ibadan has remained untouched, nearly two years after the incident.
In a statement on Thursday, the state Commissioner for Information, Dotun Oyelade, said the fund is still intact in the Oyo State Government Infrastructure Support Account with FirstBank, adding that the Federal Government has yet to release the outstanding N20 billion from the N50 billion approved for reconstruction of the affected area.
Oyelade explained that Governor Seyi Makinde formally requested federal support shortly after the explosion, outlining emergency actions already taken by the state, including rescue operations, medical care for victims, provision of temporary accommodation, and other relief measures fully funded by the state government.
He said the state estimated a total intervention cost of N100 billion, but President Bola Tinubu approved N50 billion specifically for the reconstruction of Old Bodija and surrounding areas, with only N30 billion released in November 2024.
According to the statement, the state deliberately refrained from accessing the N30 billion because the balance of N20 billion has been withheld by federal agencies without official explanation, describing the decision as a cautious “wait-and-see” approach.
The government noted that, despite delays in federal intervention, Oyo State had already spent N24.6 billion of its own resources on infrastructure reconstruction and compensation to victims as of January 1, 2026.
The statement added that the state would continue to engage transparently with the public while pursuing the release of the remaining funds, stressing that the Makinde administration remains committed to fully addressing the impact of the Bodija explosion and upholding accountability in the use of public funds.
