President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to rapid infrastructure development across Nigeria, urging state governors to align building and planning approvals with federal authorities to ensure seamless execution of nationwide projects.
Speaking during the commissioning of the Lekki Deep Sea Port Access Road at the Dangote Refinery and Petrochemical Plant on Thursday, the President directed the Minister of Works, David Umahi, and the Surveyor General of the Federation to intensify coordination efforts with state governments.
“Please, my dear governors, let’s work together. Don’t give planning approvals without collaboration with the Surveyor General and the Ministry of Works. I am appealing to you to realise the same development goal,” President Tinubu pleaded.
He also announced a federal ban on dredging activities within a 10-kilometre radius of all bridges nationwide, calling for immediate enforcement by governors, regulatory bodies, and security agencies.
The commissioning event comes just five days after the President inaugurated Phase 1 of Section One of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway. It marks another significant stride in the federal government’s infrastructure push, which Tinubu says is being executed in a phased and transparent manner.
Dismissing criticism about the scope and awarding process of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, the President clarified that no single contractor was awarded the entire 750km stretch.
“The completed 30km segment is part of the 47.7km Section I contract, not a wholesale 750km project. Our approach has been systematic, transparent, and section-based,” he said.
He further cited the revival of the long-envisioned Sokoto-Badagry Superhighway, originally conceptualised under the Shehu Shagari administration nearly five decades ago, as a symbol of the administration’s resolve to deliver legacy infrastructure.
“We have completed over 10km of the 258km stretch in Kebbi, and work has started on the 120km segment from Illela in Sokoto. We are flagging off the second carriageway in these locations today”, Tinubu said.
Highlighting other ongoing developments, he reported progress in the Cross River and Akwa Ibom sections of the Lagos-Calabar Highway, the Trans-Sahara Trade Route connecting Calabar to Abuja via Ebonyi and other states, and directed accelerated design on the Akwanga–Jos–Bauchi–Gombe corridor.
The President also commissioned several completed infrastructure projects including:
- Yakasai to Zalli Road in Kano State
- Shendam Bridge in Plateau
- Jimeta Bridge in Adamawa
- Ilobu-Erinle Road across Kwara and Osun
- Cham–Numan Bridge in Adamawa
Simultaneously, he flagged off construction on multiple fronts:
- The Sokoto-Badagry Superhighway (120km in Sokoto and 258km in Kebbi)
- Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway (Section II – 55km)
- Zaria–Hunkuyi–Daya Road (152.67km in Kaduna/Kano)
- Dikwa–Gamboru–Ngala Road (49.55km in Borno)
- Kano–Maiduguri Road dualisation (100.95km)
- Maiduguri Ring Road (108km)
- Kano Northern Bypass (74km)
- Lekki Port to Ijebu-Ode 6-lane road (25km)
- Lokoja–Benin road rehabilitation
- Dualisation of Oyo–Ogbomoso (104km)
- Kano–Daura–Kongolam (264km)
- Bama–Banki Road reconstruction (49.15km)
President Tinubu praised private sector contributions, singling out industrialists Aliko Dangote, Femi Otedola, Jim Ovia, and Abdulsamad Rabiu as “four wise men” who have significantly supported Nigeria’s economic transformation.
While inspecting the Dangote Refinery, Tinubu described it as a “great phenomenon of our time” and commended the access road construction by Dangote Industries Limited and Hitech Construction Company under the federal tax credit scheme.
On behalf of the governors in attendance, Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State expressed gratitude to President Tinubu for subsidy removal, noting that the policy has increased state allocations for investment in health, education, and infrastructure.
“We assure you, Mr. President, of our unflinching collaboration to improve Nigeria’s infrastructure,” Sani stated.
The high-level event was attended by governors from Plateau, Abia, Enugu, Ogun, Borno, and Kaduna states, among other dignitaries.
President Tinubu concluded with an assurance that the administration will deliver on all infrastructure projects as part of its strategy to reposition the economy.
He said, “With God on our side, we shall complete these projects and deploy them for the economic benefit of our nation.”
