Senate demands Northeast inclusion in super highway project

The Nigerian Senate has taken steps towards addressing regional infrastructure disparity, calling on President Bola Tinubu to include the Northeast in the Renewed Hope Super Highway Project.

Lawmakers argued that despite the ₦4.2 trillion road infrastructure plan, the region remains largely overlooked, with only two projects allocated to it.

Leading the charge, Senator Mohammed Danjuma Goje (Gombe Central) pointed out the glaring disparity in the allocation of road projects across geopolitical zones.

He stated that though it is commendable that President Tinubu’s administration approved ₦4.2 trillion for nationwide road infrastructure, the Northeast had been largely overlooked in the Renewed Hope Super Highway Project.

Going further, he recalled that the Federal Executive Council (FEC), in its February 3rd meeting, approved funding for various highway projects aimed at addressing the country’s poor road network and boosting economic development.

A breakdown of the project list, he said, revealed that the Northeast was allocated only two projects: Yola – Fufore – Gurin Road (Adamawa State) – ₦11.81 billion, and Karim Lamido Road (Taraba State) – ₦7.68 billion.

Senator Goje noted that aside from these two, several crucial road networks in the region remain in deplorable conditions, including Bauchi – Gombe Road, Biu – Gombe Road, Potiskum – Gombe Road, Darazo – Gombe Road, Numan – Jalingo Road, Yola – Mubi Road, Yola – Michika – Madagali – Gwoza – Bama Road, Biu – Gombi – Mararaba Road, and Biu – Damboa – Maiduguri Road.

Goje further noted that the Northeast is the only region without a direct connection to the Super Highway Project, despite its strategic role in national security and economic growth.

He urged the federal government to correct this oversight and prioritise road rehabilitation across the country.

In his remarks on the motion, President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, decried the poor maintenance of road infrastructure across the country and called for a strategic roadmap for the construction and maintenance of roads.

He opined that no matter how many roads are constructed, without maintenance, they will eventually break down and join the multitude of bad ones already in existence.

He said, “I believe strongly that if previous administrations in Nigeria had really done a serious roadmap on road construction and rehabilitation, we wouldn’t have had this problem.

“I think we should have a roadmap on how to maintain our roads and ensure their reconstruction.

“We’ll continue to have this kind of issue even if we declare a state of emergency on road rehabilitation and construction, but there has to be a plan on maintenance.”

“Take for example,” he added, “the road linking Akwa Ibom State with Cross River State was done in 1975 but with a provision that there should be an overlay in seven years, but 40 years later, that overlay was not done.”

Supporting the motion, Senator Sani Musa (Niger East) called for a nationwide emergency on road repairs, stressing that infrastructural neglect has hindered economic progress.