The House of Representatives, yesterday, approved the $516.3 million syndicated loan sought by President Bola Tinubu to finance Section 1 (Phase 1A and 1B) of the Sokoto–Badagry Superhighway.

Meanwhile, the National Assembly will, tomorrow, adjourn plenary to enable lawmakers to participate in their respective party primaries ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The loan approval followed the adoption of a report by the House Committee on Aids, Loans and Debt Management during plenary.

Presenting the report, the committee’s chairman, Abubakar Nalaraba, urged lawmakers to endorse the request, describing the 120-kilometre stretch as critical to national development and connectivity.

Earlier, a member of the committee, Abdullahi El-Rashid (Dukku/Nafada, Gombe), moved the motion for consideration of the report, stressing the strategic importance of the project to economic integration.

The motion was seconded by Bello Isah Ambarura (Illela/Gwadabawa, Sokoto).

The House subsequently resolved into the Committee of Supply, where the report was considered clause-by-clause and all five recommendations were approved before final adoption at plenary.

Lawmakers endorsed the $516.3 million facility from Deutsche Bank AG and approved its inclusion in the Federal Government’s rolling borrowing plan.

They also backed the financing structure, which includes a partial guarantee by the Islamic Corporation for the Insurance of Investment and Export Credit, a nine-year tenor with up to three years’ moratorium, and an interest rate benchmarked at CME SOFR plus 5.35 per cent yearly.

To ensure accountability, the House mandated strict legislative oversight, directing the Federal Ministry of Finance, the Debt Management Office (DMO) and the Federal Ministry of Works to submit quarterly reports on disbursement and project implementation. It also directed that all executed financing agreements be transmitted to the National Assembly within 30 days of financial close, while relevant committees are to carry out continuous monitoring.

In the adjournment of plenary, Senate President Godswill Akpabio announced the decision yesterday, noting that many senators would be engaged in nomination processes within their political parties.

He said the adjournment was necessary to allow lawmakers to balance legislative duties with constituency and party obligations, while committee work would continue.

“Many senators will not be here, so there will be a need for a slight adjournment of plenary. Committees can still continue with oversight functions,” he said.

Akpabio added that pending legislative matters would be concluded before the break.

“We want to finish pending matters before Thursday, so senators can proceed to their constituencies for primaries according to their parties,” he said.

He urged political parties to schedule primaries in a way that accommodates lawmakers’ legislative responsibilities.

According to the timetable from the Independent National Electoaral Commission (INEC) for the 2027 elections, party primaries will hold between April 23 and May 30.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has fixed its primaries for May 15 to 23, with aspirants screening scheduled for May 6 to 9, while a faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) aligned with Nyesom Wike scheduled its presidential primary for May 17 to 18.

The Labour Party (LP) led by Nenadi Usman fixed May 23 for its presidential primary.

INEC slated the presidential and National Assembly elections for January 16, 2027, while governorship and state assembly elections will hold on February 6, 2027.