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| Tinubu Sanctions Sokoto-Badagry Highway Construction |
President Bola Tinubu has sanctioned the construction of the Sokoto-Badagry Highway, which will span across Sokoto, Kebbi, Niger, Kwara, Oyo, Ogun, and Lagos states.
This announcement came as he approved the immediate commencement of the National Construction and Household Support Programme across all geopolitical zones.
The initiative aims to enhance agricultural productivity, bolster the economy by fostering growth in agriculture, manufacturing, and construction, and offer prompt economic assistance to Nigerians.
At the National Economic Council (NEC) meeting in Abuja on Thursday, Tinubu called on state governors to collaborate in addressing the populace's needs, assuring his readiness to provide necessary support to alleviate the hardships faced by Nigerians.
The Sokoto-Badagry Highway is given priority under this programme, connecting key states that are vital for the nation's agricultural continuity.
Additionally, other significant road projects like the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway and the Trans-Saharan Highway, connecting Enugu, Abakaliki, Ogoja, Benue, Kogi, Nasarawa, and Abuja, are being emphasized.
President Tinubu has also greenlit complete counterpart funding for the Port Harcourt-Maiduguri Railway, covering Rivers, Abia, Enugu, Benue, Nasarawa, Plateau, Bauchi, Gombe, Yobe, and Borno, as well as the Ibadan-Abuja section of the Lagos-Kano Standard-Gauge Railway, passing through Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Kwara, Niger, Abuja, Kaduna, and Kano.
The Sokoto-Badagry road is especially prioritized due to its significance, as it passes through states that are crucial for the country's agricultural sustainability.
The highway corridor is home to 216 agricultural communities, 58 sizable dams across six states, seven Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones, 156 local government areas, 39 commercial cities and towns, and over one million hectares of cultivable land.
Highlighting the critical need to enhance food production, the President remarked, "The Sokoto-Badagry Highway is a key project as the states it connects constitute the agricultural heartland of the nation, with Badagry serving as a vital conduit for food exports.
"It's imperative for our states to unite in implementing the essential reforms needed to fulfill our citizens' requirements. Time is of the essence, and we must act swiftly.
"We stand prepared to back you with agricultural mechanization and the supply of superior seedlings."
