How SAGAMU Interchange Became A BIG City

23

One of the prime locations for business and other investments in Ogun State now is Sagamu interchange. The recent transformation of the area has further put the location in the eyes of every investor, making it a choice location for a lot of people. The interchange is located in Ogun State and functions as a major distribution point for travelers and logistics trucks moving goods inland from the nation’s ports. As a central piece of the Federal Government’s infrastructure drive, the modernized hub enhances road safety and connectivity, turning the area into a strategic corridor for trade and industrial growth.

The Sagamu Interchange has transformed into a massive industrial and commercial hub due to its prime location on the heavily trafficked Lagos-Ibadan and Sagamu-Benin Expressways. This strategic position has attracted a surge of multinational factories, state-of-the-art housing estates, and major government infrastructure investments.

This transformation started with the former governor of Ogun state Gbenga Daniel many years ago when the location was known as hiding place for the notorious armed robbers.

He created that space. He designed it. He configured the project. Other administration’s that came after him only came to consolidate on his idea. They came to build on the foundation he laid.

Interestingly, when he began the project to develop the Sagamu Interchange, he was heavily criticized. Many said he was selling Ogun State land cheaply to outsiders. What OGD had in mind was to turn that neighborhood into an industrial hub. He had to reach out to the MD/CEO of many companies to come into that area and establish their factories. Lagos had become congested, and he kept telling them that. “Come into that area and locate your factories” was his message. He had to reach out to the likes of Chief Osunkeye, the Chairman of Nestlé, to consider setting up a factory in Sagamu Interchange. He pleaded with other CEOs to also come in, like the management of International Breweries. He wanted to attract development to that area. Today, his dream has come to fruition. An insider in the government of Otunba Gbenga Daniel provided more insight into the project. Recall that the Abeokuta-Siun-Sagamu road was in a terrible state of disrepair at the time OGD became Governor in 2003. It was a single lane that was almost impassable.

The Interchange was notorious as a den for armed robbers, such that there was no commuting between Abeokuta and Sagamu once it was past 6 PM. OGD therefore dualized the road with about 999 streetlight poles. The total cost of the 49 km road then was about N1.96 billion, the cheapest ever in road construction, because other bids were in excess of N5 billion to N7 billion, but OGD got OGROMA to build it in a much cheaper way. Today, this place has also witnessed more development from the current government. The road has been tarred and it is also lit up. If you are a first-time visitor to this area at night, you could easily mistake it for Pretoria in South Africa. Currently, property developers are flocking to the Sagamu Interchange due to its highly strategic position as a connecting hub for Lagos, the rest of the South-West, and the South-South. This migration is driven by the area’s massive potential for warehousing and logistics, affordable land prices, and the congestion of the Lagos Mainland.

Do you also know that this interchange links the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway directly to the Sagamu-Benin Expressway, making it the perfect route for moving goods from major industrial zones and seaports? E-commerce and manufacturing companies are setting up massive distribution centers here for nationwide delivery. With property prices in prime Lagos areas like Ikeja, Lekki, and Surulere hitting a ceiling, developers are expanding outward. Sagamu offers vast, comparatively cheap land, which allows developers to build large-scale residential and commercial estates at competitive price points. The completion of the Sagamu interchange overhaul has drastically reduced commute times and traffic congestion. The integration of the corridor with planned transport networks makes the area an easy commute to and from Lagos. The Ogun State Government’s support through easier land acquisition and pro-business initiatives continues to attract developers away from Lagos’s restrictive building regulations. Most especially, major businesses and companies prefer the location because, compared to the hyper-congested and expensive industrial hubs in Lagos (like Agbara or Ikeja), the Sagamu Interchange area offers large tracts of government-acquired land for expansive factories, warehouses, and modern housing estates.

This once-simple junction has rapidly developed into a key logistics, residential, and industrial hub connecting the South-West, South-South, and South-East corridors. Currently, numerous multinationals, including well-known Chinese manufacturing and oil and gas companies, have established large factories in the area. Many of these facilities operate on dedicated gas pipelines to significantly cut production costs, fostering a new industrial community of both expatriates and locals. Additionally, many genuine housing estates are emerging in the area due to the high demand for housing. More than 10 real estate firms have started construction, and for those that have been present for over a decade, they are now cashing out as more people move into the area to live.

Isaac Abimbade