The Senate has called upon the Federal Government to expand the Renewed Hope Legacy Road Infrastructure Projects to encompass the Calabar-Makurdi-Jalingo-Yola-Maiduguri Highway, stressing its importance in integrating the North-East into Nigeria’s broader infrastructure development plans.
Senator Danjuma Goje (APC-Gombe) raised this proposal during Wednesday’s plenary session under the title “Renewed Hope Legacy Road Infrastructure Projects: The Need to Include the North-East Geo-Political Zone in the Projects”. He highlighted the strategic significance of the highway in enhancing connectivity and fostering socio-economic growth in the region.
Additionally, the upper chamber commended President Tinubu for his significant contributions towards positioning Nigeria as the largest economy in Africa, particularly through substantial developmental efforts.
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Furthermore, the Senate urged the Federal Ministry of Works to extend the scope of the initiative to include the Akwanga-Jos-Gombe-Adamawa Highways. This expansion, they emphasized, aligns with the administration’s vision of leaving behind enduring legacy roads across the country.
Senator Goje emphasized that while the current projects include critical highways like the Sokoto-Badagry Superhighway and the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, the North-East region has been notably absent from these transformative initiatives. He underscored the urgent need to rectify this exclusion, pointing out the concerns raised by stakeholders in the region regarding unequal development and potential marginalization.
Highlighting the broader implications, Senator Goje expressed concerns about the security challenges exacerbated by inadequate road infrastructure in the North-East, which he believes could be mitigated through the inclusion of the region in these infrastructure projects.
Senator Diket Plang (APC-Plateau) and Senator Simon Lalong (APC-Plateau) supported the motion, emphasising the economic benefits that would accrue from extending the infrastructure projects to cover the North-East and parts of the North-Central regions.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio expressed his optimism about the impact of these infrastructure developments once completed, highlighting their potential to drive economic growth and improve connectivity across Nigeria.
President Tinubu had earlier approved the Renewed Hope Infrastructure Development Fund on March 25, aimed at catalysing infrastructure development in critical sectors such as agriculture, transportation, energy, and healthcare. The fund seeks to attract capital investments and advance national projects that promote growth, create employment, and enhance technological innovation and exports.
