Ibadan Traditional Stakeholders, Residents Raises Alarm Over Alleged Hospital Lands Encroachment By Estate Developers
•By OYENIYI AWOJOODU
IBADAN — TRADITIONAL stakeholders, market leaders, distinguished sons and daughters of the soil and other residents of Ibadanland have raised alarm over what they describe as the increasing encroachment on lands belonging to hospitals across the city by estate developers, saying the trend threatens the city’s historical identity and public health infrastructure.
The residents, who spoke with journalists expressed concern that portions of land originally set aside for healthcare and public use are being converted for commercial and residential estates, warning that the development poses a danger to the “monumental inheritance” of the state.
According to them, some estate developers are allegedly using government instruments and approvals to convert hospital lands into housing estates.
They argued that such actions undermine long-term planning for health services in a fast-growing city like Ibadanland
“If we continue selling off every open space and institutional land, the generation unborn will have nothing to show for our heritage,” one of the residents said.
The aggrieved residents including Traditional Stakeholders, market leaders cautioned that the unchecked conversion of public spaces could strip Ibadan of its cultural and historical value.
The residents cited several examples to buttress their claims.
They pointed to the conversion of the Trans Amusement Park in Bodija into an estate, the partial conversion of Agodi Gardens into an estate, and the allocation of a large expanse of land at the Broadcasting Corporation of Oyo State, BCOS, for estate development.
They described these conversions as “unfair development” capable of eroding Ibadan’s character.
The loss of recreational, cultural, and institutional spaces, they argued, diminishes the quality of life for residents and future generations who depend on such facilities.
Hospital lands, the residents stressed, are critical for expanding healthcare capacity as the city’s population grows. Encroachment, they noted, not only reduces space for new wards and equipment but also sets a dangerous precedent for other public institutions.
Worried by the pace of development, the residents are now calling on traditional and community leaders to intervene.
They specifically appealed to the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Adewolu Ladoja, FNSE, Arusa 1 , other Ibadan monarchs, the Central Council of Ibadan Indigenes, CCII, Mogajis, Baales, and other stakeholders.
The appeal, they said, is to urgently address the issue before it gets out of hand.
They urged traditional rulers and community bodies to use their influence to halt further conversion of hospital lands and protect remaining public spaces across the metropolis.
As Ibadan continues to expand, residents say a balance must be struck between urban development and preservation of heritage. For many, protecting hospital lands and other monumental sites is not just about the present, but about safeguarding the city’s legacy for generations yet unborn.