By Salif Atojoko

President Bola Tinubu says more funds would be committed to infrastructure development across the country.

The president said this while inaugurating the Lekki Deep Sea Port Access Road at the Dangote Refinery and Petrochemical Plant in Lagos, Mr Bayo Onanuga, his spokesman, said.

The president said he was happy that the Deep Sea Port he initiated as governor of Lagos State had become a huge success.

“Users save vast amounts of money using this port because they no longer need to trans-ship their goods.

“I commend the quality of the access road done by Messrs Dangote Industries Limited on our Tax Credit Road programme and the subcontractor, Messrs Hitech Construction Company Limited,” Tinubu said.

He commended the Federal Ministry of Works, Hitech Construction Company Limited, Dangote Industries Limited, BUA and all contractors involved in the country’s road development.

The president said his administration was committed to building enduring infrastructure nationwide.

He dismissed critics of the government’s legacy projects for being ignorant about how the government awarded the legacy roads to contractors.

“It is necessary to note that the Federal Executive Council approved our legacy projects to be procured, awarded and constructed in sections.

“The completed 30 km segment of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway is part of the 47.7 km, six-lane Section I contract, not a wholesale 750 km contract, as some have suggested.

“No contractor has been awarded the entire corridor.

“Our approach has been systematic, transparent, and section-based.

“The Sokoto-Badagry Superhighway envisioned 47 years ago under the Shagari administration, is another legacy project we have revived,” said Tinubu.

According to him, this corridor – spanning Sokoto, Kebbi, Niger, Kwara, Oyo, Ogun, and Lagos – holds immense potential for agriculture, trade, and industrialisation.

“It connects over 58 dams, vast arable farmlands, and trade routes to our West African neighbours and offers great promise for windmill energy generation.

“Construction is well underway.

“In Kebbi, we have completed over 10 km of the 258 km three-lane carriageway, and today we flag off the second carriageway.

“This section is the longest in all our Legacy Projects.

“In Sokoto, work has begun on the 120 km 2single-carriageway by three lanes from Illela.

“I understand that over 10km of this project is already completed.

“Today, we shall be flagging off the second carriageway of 120km with three lanes,” Tinubu stated.

He said work was also at an advanced stage in this section.

“More sections are being designed for procurement and award within the whole length of the Sokoto-Badagry Superhighway.

“On my way here, I witnessed significant progress at Section II of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, with over 10 km of the 55 km stretch already completed.

“I am also pleased to report ongoing works in the Cross River and Akwa Ibom sections and have directed that more segments be designed and procured,” he said.

The president said the Trans-Sahara Trade Route, another visionary project, was advancing steadily, and would connect Calabar to Abuja via Ebonyi, Benue, Kogi, and Nasarawa.

Tinubu said he had directed accelerated design on the 4th Legacy Project of the Akwanga-Jos-Bauchi and Gombe corridor to enable procurement to start.

“Let me assure you that with God on our side, we shall complete these projects and deploy them for the economic benefit of our nation,” he said. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Mufutau Ojo