The Oyo State Government has provided further clarification on its plan to spend N63.4 billion on the redevelopment of the Government House, describing the project as a full-scale overhaul rather than a renovation.

In a statement issued in Ibadan on Friday, the Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Dotun Oyelade, addressed reactions to the proposal, stating that reports describing the project as mere renovation were either “ignorant or mischievous.”

Oyelade said the redevelopment of the Government House is one of over 200 projects currently being undertaken across the state’s seven zones, including the Samuel Ladoke Akintola International Airport upgrade, the 110-kilometre Circular Road, and the LAUTECH Iseyin campus.

He explained that Oyo State’s internally generated revenue had grown from about N1.5 billion to N7.8 billion between 2019 and May 2025, and argued that the administration has been committed to financial management and worker welfare. “The administration has also vigorously pursued the welfare of its workers such that it would pay over N174 billion annually in salaries and wages at N14.5 billion monthly, to the largest State workforce in Nigeria,” he said.

On the scope of the Government House project, Oyelade confirmed that 21 structures would be affected. He outlined that the presidential lodge and banquet hall would be reconstructed, and the official residences of the governor and deputy governor would undergo structural, architectural, mechanical, and electrical works.

According to the statement, other affected facilities include staff quarters, chalets, a mosque, a church, an external botanical garden, internal roads, landscaping, fencing, and furniture. “The new building will also accommodate a helipad to allow VIP visitors including the presidency, fellow Governors, important dignitaries and the host Governor himself to commute seamlessly to and from their destinations in helicopters,” he said.

Oyelade added that the planned completion of key structures aligns with preparations for the state’s 50th anniversary in February 2026. He also responded to criticism from a potential 2027 gubernatorial aspirant, calling the suggestion to distribute the allocated funds to 20,000 citizens “laughable and kindergarten.”