Governor Umar Namadi of Jigawa State has expressed satisfaction with the progress of the ongoing construction of the Gwaram Basirka Bridge project along the Jigawa-Bauchi-Gombe highway.

Inspecting the two-kilometre infrastructure valued at N6.4 billion on his way to Gombe State, observed that the critical facility currently stands at a 24 per cent completion rate.

A statement by Senior Special Assistant for Media Affairs, Hajiya Zainab Ringim, explained that the project was aimed at enhancing connectivity and facilitating economic growth in the region.

“With a total cost of N6.4 billion, the project is being handled by the local contractor, Ojeil Construction Company Limited, while Wuri Associate serves as the consultant,” she said.

HOWEVER, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has ranked the state as the third poorest in the country, with over 5.76 million people living in multi-dimensional poverty.

The rating also coincided with the data released by UNICEF that declared that 73 per cent of children in Jigawa were under multi-dimensional poverty, essentially with poor access to basic healthcare, education, nutrition and food.

Besides, about 64 per cent of kids are said to be struggling with acute malnutrition, and 81.9 per cent suffering from anaemia amid an increased number inflicted by natural disasters.