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In Ebonyi, Tinubu’s Infrastructure Vision Paving Path to National Renewal
By Ismail Abdulaziz, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)
The Renewed Hope National Media Tour birthed in Abakaliki, Ebonyi, on Saturday to begin its visit to the South Eastern region of the country on inspection of key legacy projects being initiated by the three-year-old Bola Tinubu administration.
President Tinubu views road infrastructure as the bedrock of national development.
Indeed, the administration’s focus is hinged on linking farms to markets, industries to supply chains, and citizens to opportunities.
To be sure, the administration treats roads as pathways to economic growth, national integration, and improved productivity rather than mere expenses.
Some critical road projects undertaken by the administration include the expansive 780-kilometre Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway which will unlock coastal and tourism economies.
Similarly, the ambitious more than 1,000 kilometre Sokoto-Badagry Superhighway is expected to link communities and strengthen cross-border trade.
The administration is also rehabilitating and dualising major national arteries, including the Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano Road, the Abuja-Lokoja-Benin Road, and massive urban connectivity projects in the Federal Capital Territory.
The Tinubu administration’s road projects in Ebonyi , therefore, form a critical part of the administration’s “Renewed Hope Agenda” and regional legacy infrastructure programme.
It is in this light that strategic interventions and superhighways are actively being constructed and inspected across the state.
There is the Calabar–Ebonyi–Abuja Superhighway (Section One), a massive legacy corridor connecting the South-South, South-East, and North-Central regions.
Spanning 123 kilometres from Calabar through Ebonyi to the Benue boundary, Section 1 kicks off from Ndibe Beach in Afikpo and runs through Ukwuachi-Mbeke Ishieke in Ebonyi Local Government Area.
Also awesome is the Amasiri–Okigwe Road, a 61-kilometre rehabilitation and construction project valued at N193 billion under the Dangote Tax Credit Scheme.
This route connects Ebonyi with Abia and Imo states, replacing previously degraded sections.
The Amasiri–Edda Road and Timber Shade–Afikpo Road (Phase One), on the other hand, connects major ongoing route interventions executed by the Federal Ministry of Works to reduce travel time and connect rural communities.
Instructively, the Onueke Flyover and Highway, a 90-metre flyover and 2.2 kilometres of side roads will ease traffic and stimulate commercial activities in the area.
During the Renewed Hope National Media Tour to Ebonyi, Sen. Dave Umahi, Minister of Works and former governor of the state, took the team round some of these legacy road projects.
Inspected were critical bridges and road projects, including the ongoing construction of 90 metres link bridge in Section 1 and the concrete pavement on Onueke section of the Calabar-Abuja Tran-Sahara Super Highway.
The team also inspected the 1.3 kilometres Ndi-Egbe Bridge in Afikpo LGA of Ebonyi linking Ugep in Cross River.
This is expected to be completed by December 2026.
Umahi said the original scope of Section 1 of the project was 118 kilometres single carriageway.
This was later reviewed to cover both lanes of the 123.6 kilometres road at a cost of N445 billion, with the dualised component’s procurement process ongoing.
The minister said Section 2 of the superhighway runs from the Ebonyi border through Benue, Kogi, and ends at popular Loko-Oweto bridge in Nasarawa State, a distance of about 123.6 kilometres.
“The project is over 28 per cent completed with continuous work despite the rainy season.
” We are utilising concrete technology for durability” Umahi told the visiting journalists.
The team also inspected a completed section of concrete pavement link road between Ebonyi and Cross River State, particularly from Okposi-Ukawu in Oha-Zara Local Government of Ebonyi and Ugwulangu-Abaomege in Ugep Local Government of Cross River.
The minister, while explaining the socio-economic and agriculture benefits that President Tinubu’s legacy projects bring to Nigerians, said the Sokoto-Badagry Super Highway corridor has over 73 dams for irrigation farming, while the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway and other development initiatives would improve connectivity, attract investors and enhance quality of life.
He noted that the infrastructure projects inspected in Ebonyi reflect the Tinubu administration’s determination to stimulate economic activities, create jobs, and improve the living standards of citizens through strategic investments in critical sectors.
For Gov. Francis Nwifuru of Ebonyi, the media tour offered an opportunity to showcase the administration’s scorecard.
According to the governor, the state remains the safest in Nigeria, with no reported kidnap cases since assuming office.
While receiving the media delegation in Abakaliki, Nwifuru thanked the president for his commitment to infrastructure development in the South East, especially in Ebonyi, and for his national renewal programme.
He also highlighted numerous completed and ongoing projects in the state, including rural roads, primary health centres, and water schemes.
“We have kept contractors busy in the state with projects spread across every local government area; from rural roads to primary health centres and water schemes.
” We do not even view the road projects as a big deal because we have road projects scattered all over the state.”
The National Media Tour is organised by the Gov. Hope Uzodimma-led Renewed Hope Ambassadors, in collaboration with the Presidential Media Team.
The visit to the South East is the team’s second regional tour, following the team’s North West tour.
The delegation is led by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, and Chief Sunday Dare, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communications.
The team includes senior editors and journalists from media organisations across the country.(NAN)
Edited by Mufutau Ojo
**If used, credit the writer and the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
