FG Flags Off N1.83tn Dangote-financed Niger Highway Project

***• Umahi: Over 5,500km of road projects ongoing across north-central ***

***•Bago pledges to mobilise support for Tinubu’s re-election ***

•Dangote puts roads funded by his group at over N5tn

Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja

The federal government has commenced the reconstruction and dualisation of the 401-kilometre Lambata-Bida-Mokwa-Makera-Kontagora Road in Niger State, in a N1.83 trillion project expected to improve connectivity between communities, agricultural centres and commercial hubs.

The project, which is being financed by the Dangote Group through the federal government’s tax-credit scheme, is expected to ease the movement of people and goods across the state and adjoining areas, while opening up new economic opportunities along the corridor.

Niger State Governor, Umaru Bago, who performed the flag-off on behalf of President Bola Tinubu in Bida, described the project as a significant milestone in the development of the state and the renewal of hope for residents and motorists who depend on the road.

The project will involve the reconstruction and expansion of the highway, which runs from Lambata through Bida, Mokwa and Makera before terminating at Kontagora. According to the federal government, the intervention is expected to improve access to markets, facilitate the transportation of agricultural produce and stimulate commercial activities.

Speaking at the ceremony, the Minister of Works, David Umahi, said the Tinubu administration had initiated approximately 5,500 kilometres of road projects across the North-central zone, with Niger State accounting for more than 1,000 kilometres.

He attributed the scale of infrastructure development to the fiscal space created by the removal of the petrol subsidy, which he said had enabled the federal government to commit more resources to infrastructure nationwide.

Umahi said the Lambata-Bida-Mokwa-Makera-Kontagora project would be constructed using continuously reinforced concrete pavement (CRCP), a technology intended to provide a durable and climate-resilient road surface.

He described the choice of pavement as a measure to improve the road’s longevity, adding that the administration’s infrastructure programme required continuity to enable ongoing projects to be completed.

The minister also called for Tinubu’s re-election, arguing that another term would enable the president to complete the extensive infrastructure projects already underway across the country.

In his remarks, Bago who thanked Tinubu for approving the project, described the highway as a critical economic artery for Niger State and the wider region.

He pledged to mobilise support for the president’s re-election, promising to work towards securing victory for Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress (APC) at all levels in the state.

Also, the Minister of State for Works, Bello Goronyo, recalled a recent assessment visit to the failed Dikko Junction-Maje Road, a seven-kilometre stretch linked to the major highway project.

He said Tinubu had approved immediate palliative works on the corridor, addressing a problem that had affected motorists and host communities for about a decade.

Goronyo expressed satisfaction that the intervention had eased the difficulties previously experienced by road users.

Besides, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, who spoke on behalf of other Niger State indigenes in the Federal Executive Council (FEC), said the federal government remained committed to accelerating infrastructure development and economic recovery.

He said the administration’s economic reforms were designed to strengthen the economy and support a broader transformation of the agricultural sector.

Idris also emphasised the importance of transparency in the implementation of government programmes and expressed optimism about continued support for the administration in Niger State.

The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Works, Senator Allwell Onyesoh, described the project as part of a deliberate policy to expand infrastructure development across the country.

“What is happening today is not novel; it is intentional on the part of Mr President to provide infrastructure across the country,” he said.

Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Works, Akin Alabi, said the highway was an important transport corridor connecting the northern and southern parts of the country.

He said its reconstruction would improve transportation, facilitate economic activities and strengthen the movement of goods and services, pledging adequate legislative oversight to ensure the project’s implementation.

Providing details of the project, the Director of Highways, Construction and Rehabilitation, David Yiltong, said the road would improve security, facilitate the movement of people and goods and enhance service delivery in communities along the route.

He said the 401-kilometre project would connect several communities and economic centres, strengthening access to agricultural areas and markets.

A representative of the Dangote Group, Mansur Ahmed, reaffirmed the company’s commitment to supporting infrastructure development through investments in the road sector.

He said the project would open up communities, expand economic opportunities, create jobs and stimulate commercial activities, expressing confidence that it would be completed within the stipulated timeframe.

Ahmed put the group’s investment in road infrastructure development across the country at more than N5 trillion.

He also cited the ongoing establishment of a rice mill in Wushishi, Niger State, among the group’s other investments and development initiatives in the state.

The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Community Engagement for the North-central zone, Abiodun Essiet, called for sustained collaboration among the federal and state governments, private-sector partners and local communities to ensure that infrastructure projects met the needs of residents.

Similarly, the Secretary to the Niger State Government, Abubakar Usman, thanked Tinubu for approving the road project and other infrastructure interventions in the state, while acknowledging the Dangote Group’s role in its financing.

The Etsu Nupe and Chairman of the Niger State Council of Traditional Rulers, Yahaya Abubakar, also expressed appreciation to the president, saying the highway had the potential to improve transportation, expand economic activities and enhance the welfare of communities along the corridor.