FG Begins Design of 1,000km Sokoto-Badagry Road

Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja

The federal government said yesterday that it had begun the design of the 1,000 kilometres Sokoto -Badagry highway, on President Bola Tinubu’s directive.
A statement from the Ministry of Works stated that the design was being  handled with dispatch by its officials, noting  that  the project  would cover the old African  trade route  of Sokoto, Kebbi, Niger, Kwara, Ondo,  Oyo, Ogun, Lagos States, connecting  to Badagry in Lagos.
The government also committed to completing  the Abuja- Kaduna-Katsina- Kano federal  highway  within record  time, according to a statement by Uchenna Orji,  the spokesman to David Umahi, the minister in charge of the ministry.

Umahi  spoke during a courtesy visit of the Governor of Kaduna State, Senator Uba Sani to his office, in Mabushi, Abuja.
Speaking  during  the event,  the  minister said  he had the directive  of the president to present  a programme  that could see to the completion  of the project within  the next one year.

He assured the governor that the project, which  was inherited   from the past administration, would  be started in three sections as soon as possible.
He said: “We are going to have the first section of 38 kilometres by 2, (which is 76 kilometres,) done by Dangote  Group  of Companies on Tax Credit and it’s going to use concrete to do it.

“We will allow the next 82 kilometres for Julius Berger to handle. And then the last 20 kilometres by 2,  (which is 40 kilometres) for  BUA to handle and  to also use concrete to do that. And I can assure you that the job will start in these three sections within this month of May.”
On the Sokoto-Badagry road, he said: “The president’s  directive on designing  1000 kilometres  Sokoto- Badagry  Highway is being  handled with dispatch by the Federal Ministry of Works, .

“ The project  would cover the old African  trade route  of Sokoto, Kebbi, Niger, Kwara, Ondo,  Oyo, Ogun, Lagos States, connecting  to Badagry.”
He also stated that a proposal was being made to link the South East to the North through the Trans Sahara Highway  that would have a spur passing through Benue, Kogi, Nasarawa, and end in Abuja.
 On his part, the governor  of Kaduna State commended  the President’s initiative  to construct Lagos-Calabar road and the Sokoto-Badagry road, noting that the projects  would enhance the socio-economic potential  of the country when completed.
He emphasised  the importance of federal government’s intervention on the Eastern Bypass in Kaduna State, the Mando-Benigwari road connecting the North West.

He said that the road was of prime importance  for agricultural programmes in the North.
 “And for all of us in Northern Nigeria, you will agree with me that farming is very important. And what we really want is creating opportunities for people that are in the rural areas. That will certainly help, particularly our farmers, linking our farms with markets. Our people believe in this infrastructure to support our farmers,” he added.