By Tunde Rahman
Sir: Political diatribes sometimes obscure the capacity to appreciate developments in the governance space.
Last week was a beehive of activities for members of the Presidential Communications Team. From Zuba Junction in the Federal Capital Territory to Kaduna, Kano, Dutse, and Birnin-Kebbi, the team toured Federal Government projects in the North-west geopolitical zone.
Under the auspices of the Renewed Hope Ambassadors, the tour revealed the extensive transformative projects being executed by the President Bola Tinubu administration in road and railway infrastructure, as well as other intervention projects.
The first port of call during the tour was the Zuba Junction end of the remodelled Abuja-Kaduna-Kano highway, featuring a 20-centimetre-thick concrete pavement and solar-powered streetlights. That road is a beautiful sight to behold.
The 82-kilometre-long Section 1 of the road, stretching from Zuba to Jere, being handled by Infiouest International Construction Company, is virtually completed, save for the remaining 300 metres. Work on Section 2 has already commenced. The completion deadline is November this year.
In Kaduna, we inspected the Kaduna Western Bye-pass that has been stalled for over 22 years across several administrations. Work on the road is progressing steadily. However, the most iconic project under construction is the much-talked-about Kaduna-Kano-Jigawa-Katsina-Maradi (Niger Republic) railway line that will connect several states in the North and also the Niger Republic, enabling inter-state transportation and boosting agriculture and trade.
We saw the massive overpass bridge for that railway line in Kaduna and assessed the extent of work done. The deadline for completion is December 2026.
From Kaduna, we moved to Kano, where we inspected the Kano Section of the Abuja-Kaduna-Kano highway. The Kano end is already at 95 per cent completion. We also toured the various ongoing projects at the Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital in Kano, including the Cardiovascular Centre, Pediatric Centre and Students’ Hostel, which are part of the Constituency projects of the Deputy Senate President, Senator Jubrin Barau.
The team saw the N27 billion Irrigation project in Garko, the Federal Government Ecological Fund project, the Solar project of the Energy Commission of Nigeria, and the 10-hectare Agricultural Incubation Centre constructed by the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure at Bayero University, Kano, aimed at developing and scaling modern agricultural solutions.
There is also another ecological fund project worth N47 billion in the Wujuwuju-Jakara area, which was initially a Kano State Government project. The Tinubu administration has now taken it over. Also in Kano, within the Government Reservation Area along Murtala Muhammed Way, we visited the headquarters of the North West Development Commission, one of the interventionist agencies established by the Tinubu administration to develop the various geopolitical zones.
In Jigawa, the team inspected the Jigawa corridor of the Kaduna-Kano-Jigawa-Katsina-Maradi Railway project. We also saw some state projects, including the Bola Tinubu Skills Acquisition Centre and the Renewed Hope Fabrication Centre. In this Northwestern state, we saw some agricultural mechanisation projects, including over 300 tractors already on the ground awaiting inauguration.
In Kebbi, the Birnin-Kebbi Section of the 1,068-kilometre-long Sokoto-Badagry Super Highway, covering Phases 2A and 2B and stretching from kilometre 120 to kilometre 385, is progressing as scheduled. Site clearance, filling works, stone base, and sub-surface works are all progressing steadily, while concrete pavement construction has covered 19 kilometres, including street light installation. The level of completion is put at 40 per cent for Section 2A and 16 per cent for Section 2B.
Also in Birnin-Kebbi, we saw the Argungu-Naseini-Buyi Federal Road, which has been completed, the Argungu Township Road, and the Skills Acquisition Centre, among others, constructed by the state government.
The Federal Government’s Infrastructure Intervention projects demonstrate President Tinubu’s commitment to the development and modernisation of the Northern region. They stand as a bulwark against falsehood, proving that the alleged marginalisation of the region is untrue. Also, the delivery of landmark projects by some state governments is part of the gains of the increased allocation to states from the Federation Accounts as a result of the economic and tax reforms of President Tinubu. President Tinubu truly deserves commendation for bringing this about.
Tunde Rahman is Senior Special Assistant to President Tinubu on Media and Special Duties.
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