By our Reporter
Hon. Mohammed Idris, Minister of Information and National Orientation, has said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s four Legacy Highway Projects will transform Nigeria’s economy, promote national integration and create lasting prosperity for millions of Nigerians.
Idris stated this on Wednesday during the flag-off of Section One of the Akwanga–Jos–Bauchi–Gombe Super Highway in Akwanga, Nasarawa State, describing the project as another milestone in the implementation of the President’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
According to the minister, President Tinubu’s administration is investing in strategic infrastructure that will stimulate economic growth, improve connectivity and strengthen national unity.
“President Tinubu is not just building roads; he is building economic corridors that will facilitate trade, create jobs, connect communities and drive inclusive national development. This is Renewed Hope in action,” Idris said.
He explained that the Akwanga–Jos–Bauchi–Gombe Super Highway is one of the administration’s four flagship Legacy Highway Projects, alongside the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, the Sokoto-Badagry Super Highway and the Trans-Saharan Route.
According to him, the projects are designed to boost commerce, improve transportation and unlock the country’s economic potential through enhanced connectivity across different regions.
The minister also highlighted other achievements of the Tinubu administration, including economic reforms aimed at strengthening investor confidence, expanded access to higher education through the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), support for local industrialisation and measures to improve the country’s economic outlook.
Using a football analogy, Idris urged Nigerians to continue supporting the administration.
“If your team is winning, you don’t replace it with the second eleven. Nigeria deserves the very best, and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is providing the leadership to build a stronger and more prosperous nation,” he said.
Responding to questions from journalists, the minister dismissed allegations of regional imbalance in federal infrastructure projects, insisting that the Legacy Highway Projects cut across different geopolitical zones and demonstrate the administration’s commitment to inclusive development.
Representing President Tinubu at the ceremony, the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, said the project reflects the administration’s resolve to deploy infrastructure as a catalyst for economic transformation.
Earlier, the Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, formally flagged off construction of the 125-kilometre Akwanga–Jos section of the 700-kilometre Akwanga–Jos–Bauchi–Gombe–Yobe–Maiduguri Super Highway.
Umahi said the highway would be delivered in phases to improve transportation, stimulate economic activities and accelerate development across the North Central and North East regions.
He disclosed that the North Central currently has 35 major federal road projects and 61 emergency intervention projects, urging contractors handling the projects to prioritise the employment of local youths and facilitate skills transfer.
The minister also appealed to host communities to protect the infrastructure to ensure its successful completion and long-term sustainability.
Among dignitaries at the event were Governors Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State, Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe State and Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau State, Minister of Women Affairs Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, Minister of State for Works Bello M. Goronyo, members of the National Assembly, traditional rulers and other senior government officials.
