Kebbi Hails Tinubu Over Sokoto-Badagry Highway, Lists Economic Gains

The Kebbi State Government has praised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for reviving and advancing the Sokoto-Badagry Super Highway project, describing it as a transformative infrastructure initiative capable of reshaping economic activities across northern and southern Nigeria.

Speaking on Wednesday in Birnin Kebbi while conducting members of the Presidential Media Team and Renewed Hope Ambassadors around ongoing federal and state projects, Deputy Governor Umar Abubakar Tafida said the highway would unlock major social and economic opportunities for farmers, traders and investors.

Tafida noted that Kebbi hosts the longest stretch of the project, covering about 258 kilometres, and said the road would directly connect the Northwest to the Southwest, improving movement of goods and boosting interregional commerce.

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According to him, the project, first conceived more than 45 years ago during the administration of late President Shehu Shagari, is finally becoming reality under Tinubu’s leadership.

“This plan has been there for a very long time, but President Tinubu came, reviewed the design and masterplan, made adjustments and awarded the contract. Today, it is almost becoming history because the work is progressing steadily,” Tafida said.

He explained that farmers in Kebbi would particularly benefit from easier transportation of agricultural produce such as rice, tomatoes and onions to markets across the country.

“Transport and development go hand in hand. Farmers will now find it easier to move equipment and transport farm produce to markets quickly. Perishable goods like tomatoes can now reach markets in good time without losses associated with bad roads,” he added.

The deputy governor also commended the quality of construction work, citing the use of concrete pavement and solar-powered streetlights, while assuring that the state government was working closely with security agencies to protect workers and host communities.

Leading the inspection team, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communication Sunday Dare said visible progress on the project had silenced critics who doubted the administration’s commitment.

Dare said the inspection was aimed at showcasing achievements of the Tinubu administration in the Northwest and providing firsthand evidence of work done on the 1,068-kilometre highway corridor expected to pass through seven states.

“We’re standing on concrete roads. We’re seeing testimonials from people in these communities who say this project was abandoned for decades and has now been reactivated,” he said.

He added that projects like the Sokoto-Badagry Super Highway and the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway form part of the administration’s broader vision of building a $1 trillion economy through strategic infrastructure investment.

Also speaking, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Community Engagement (Northwest), Abdullahi Tanko Yakasai, described the highway as critical to food security and regional economic growth.

At the project site, Site Engineer Malami Aliyu disclosed that work on the Kebbi section was progressing according to schedule.

He said the section covers Phases 2A and 2B from kilometre 120 to kilometre 385, adding that concrete pavement construction had already covered 19 kilometres, alongside installation of streetlights.

Aliyu put completion levels at 40 per cent for Section 2A and 16 per cent for Section 2B, noting that construction activities were proceeding without major challenges in the state.