* Describes it as the backbone of a modern economy

* Says when roads connect to make movement easy, businesses grow, productivity rises, citizens are safe

Deji Elumoye in Abuja

President Bola Tinubu on Friday rose in stout defence of his government’s decision to prioritise infrastructural development under the Renewed Hope Agenda, saying it is the backbone of a modern economy.

He said Renewed Hope is not just a slogan but roads and ease for the common man, just as he urged Nigerians to continue to support his administration’s infrastructural drive.

Speaking while inaugurating the Collector Roads 01 and 02 in Mabushi District of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), the president, who was represented by Vice-President Kashim Shettima, pledged that with the support of the citizens, his government will continue to build more roads, create more jobs, and restore full confidence in governance.

Defending his administration’s focus on infrastructural development, Tinubu noted that the collector roads have created new, seamless links that ease flow across Mabushi, from the bus terminal into the wider FCT.

According to him, “When roads connect, businesses grow. When movement is easy, productivity rises. When travel is safe, citizens are free. That is the Renewed Hope Agenda at work. It is a fact that infrastructure is the backbone of a modern economy. Roads are not just asphalt.

“They are the veins of commerce, the bridges of unity, the channels through which our people pursue their dreams without fear or delay. By strengthening interconnectivity here in Mabushi district and indeed, other districts, we are strengthening the entire Federal Capital Territory.”

The president noted that for too long movement in that part of the nation’s capital had been a struggle with traffic bottlenecks and needless detours, even as he pondered the “time lost that should have been spent at work, at school, or with family”.

Tinubu said that precarious situation has changed with his administration stepping in to fix the nation’s infrastructure.

“As an administration, our vision remains clear: a world-class capital that works for every resident, whether you live in Asokoro or Kuje, in Wuse or Gwagwalada. Interconnectivity is how we get there. One road at a time. One district at a time. Until no community is left behind,” he added.

The president thanked FCT residents for their patience during the construction of the road, acknowledging that diversions were, indeed, frustrating and the dust uncomfortable.

“But you endured because you believed in a better Abuja. Today, your patience has paid off. These roads belong to you. Use them responsibly. Protect them jealously,” he stated.

Tinubu singled out the Minister of FCT, Nyesom Wike, for commendation, saying he has “continued to show what focused leadership can achieve”.

“I gave you a simple charge: ‘Make Abuja work for all’. You took it and ran with it. From satellite towns to the city centre, you are turning blueprints into roads people can drive on today. Your energy, your insistence on delivery, and your refusal to accept excuses are why the FCT is transforming under this administration. Nigerians see it. I see it. Well done, Minister Wike,” he told the former Rivers governor.

Earlier, the FCT Minister said the inauguration of the collector roads in the territory was in compliance with the presidential directive to improve the state of infrastructure in every district in the FCT.

While appreciating the president for his support and commitment, Wike attributed all of the achievements in the FCT within a short period to the president’s courageous leadership, urging Nigerians to support the continuity of the Tinubu administration for the sustenance of laudable projects and programmes.

Also speaking, Minister of State for FCT, Dr. Mariya Mahmoud, said the occasion marked another significant milestone in the effort of the FCT administration to open up more communities and facilitate economic activities in the territory in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda.

She thanked the president and the vice-president for their commitment and steadfast support towards the actualisation of all the laudable projects in the FCT for the benefit of residents and visitors to the city.

In an overview of the project, Executive Secretary of FCDA, Richard Yunana Dauda, said the execution of the project will enable free flow of traffic and interconnectivity to other districts and areas around Mabushi, which, according to him, is critical to the socio-economic life of the city and wellbeing of residents of the territory.