FG Begins N1.83tn Dangote-Funded Niger Highway, Says Nationwide Road Investments Exceed N5tn

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-kilometrestretch 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 MrPresident to provide infrastructure across the country,” he said.