…Urges Further Road Expansion

Former Senate Leader and Senator representing Borno South, Ali Ndume, has commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for approving the reconstruction and dualisation of the 125-kilometre Gombe-Biu highway, describing the project as a major infrastructure intervention that will boost economic activities, enhance security and improve regional integration in the Northeast.

The N1.245 trillion project was officially flagged off on Thursday at Liji in Gombe State at a ceremony attended by Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, Minister of Works David Umahi, and the Managing Director of Hi-Tech Construction Company, Danny Abboud.

In a statement personally signed by him on Saturday, Ndume praised Tinubu and Umahi for fulfilling their commitment to rehabilitate the strategic road corridor, which he said had suffered years of neglect despite its importance to the socio-economic development of the region.

The lawmaker recalled his repeated efforts under previous administrations to draw attention to the deplorable condition of the highway, noting that his appeals had yielded little success until the current administration intervened.

According to him, he had raised concerns over the state of the road during a high-level engagement with former Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, in 2019, stressing the route’s significance to economic integration, interstate mobility, security operations and regional development.

He added that he renewed the call in July 2021 during discussions on national infrastructure financing frameworks, including projects linked to facilities supported by the African Development Bank (AfDB), where he advocated the inclusion of the Biu-Gombe corridor among priority federal road projects.

Ndume said his engagement with Umahi in February this year, during which he expressed concern over the exclusion of the Biu-Damboa-Maiduguri corridor from the Federal Government’s 2026 Legacy Projects, eventually contributed to the approval of the Gombe-Biu road project by the Federal Executive Council (FEC).

He noted that the project was subsequently captured under strategic national road interventions financed through the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited’s tax credit arrangement.

Describing the road as critical to the economic future of the Northeast, Ndume said the project would serve as a major transportation corridor linking the region to other parts of Nigeria and neighbouring West African countries.

“I want to appreciate Mr President for listening to my calls. It is a laudable project that will unlock economic opportunities and improve the quality of life for Nigerians,” he said.

The senator, however, appealed to the Federal Government to extend the road network beyond Biu to Maiduguri, Monguno and Ngala in Borno State, as well as Yola in Adamawa State.

According to him, such an expansion would not only deepen regional connectivity and facilitate cross-border trade but also strengthen security operations in areas affected by insurgency and criminal activities.

“Those are very critical roads that go down to the border and will also promote inter-country trade. They will equally help in the fight against insurgency because criminals often take advantage of bad roads to block highways and abduct travellers,” he said.

Ndume expressed confidence that the people of the Northeast would appreciate the administration’s infrastructure investments in the region.

He maintained that sustained commitment to road development would accelerate economic growth, improve access to markets and social services, and contribute significantly to lasting peace and stability across the region.