Senate urges FG to extend “Renewed Hope Road” projects to northeast

The Senate has urged the Federal Government to expand the Renewed Hope Legacy Road Infrastructure Projects to include the Calabar-Makurdi-Jalingo-Yola-Maiduguri Highway.

It said that the highway would integrate the North-East into the Legacy Infrastructure Road Projects of Nigeria

This followed a point of order raised by Sen. Danjuma Goje (APC-Gombe) during plenary on Wednesday.

The motion was titled: “Renewed Hope Legacy Road Infrastructure Projects: The Need to Include the North-East Geo-Political Zone in the Projects’.

The upper chamber also commended Tinubu for the giant developmental stride in the quest to make Nigeria the biggest economy in Africa.

The senate also urged the Federal Ministry of Works to include the Akwanga-Jos-Gombe-Adamawa Highways.

This, it said, was to complete the renewed hope agenda of the President, with a view to leaving behind, legacy roads in the country.

Moving the motion, Goje said the legacy projects of the administration included landmark projects which were made up of the Sokoto-Badagry Superhighway connecting Sokoto (North-West) to Badagri (South-West).

“Lagos-Calabar Costal Highway (South-South) and Calabar-Ebonyi-Benue- Kogi-Nasarawa-Abuja Superhighway (South-East and North-Central).

“These highways were designed in line with the current administration’s commitment toward actualising the vision of making Nigeria the largest economy in Africa.

“However, the north-east is the only zone not included in these laudable projects.”

Goje said the bold initiative was part of the renewed hope developmental agenda of Tinubu which upon completion, would undoubtedly, inter-connect the country and bring about unprecedented socio-economic growth.

He, however, said the legacy projects, as shown on its map, excluded the north-east geo-political zone from the whole equation.

“This has stimulated unprecedented concerns and agitations from the region in view of the strategic roles these projects will play in this country, hence the need to include the north-east in the projects.

“The non-inclusion of the north-east in the projects, which includes: Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Taraba and Yobe, has raised myriad of concerns about unequal development and potential marginalisation of the region.

“This will further worsen the infrastructural challenges of the region,” Goje said.

The lawmaker further expressed concern that the security situation of the region had been further exacerbated due to lack of adequate road infrastructure networks that made it to be susceptible and exposed to all manner of security challenges.

“The non-inclusion of the region will not augur well for the socio-economic development of this country, as the economic viability and opportunities that abound in the region will not be fully tapped to the maximum benefit of the country.”

Supporting the motion, Sen. Diket Plang (APC-Plateau) said the expansion of the road project would help improve the economy of the entire north-east and part of north central.

Sen. Simon Lalong (APC-Plateau) said: “While we are very anxious about the coastal road, in the low-hanging zone, is to also start the Akwanga-Jos -Gombe road”.

In his remarks, the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio said “I will be very glad to glide on those roads when they are completed”.

NAN reports that on Match 25, president Tinubu approved the Renewed Hope Infrastructure Development Fund to facilitate effective infrastructure development across the pivotal areas of agriculture, transportation, ports, aviation, energy, healthcare, and education in Nigeria.

The find will invest in critical national projects that will, among other things, promote growth; enhance local value-addition, create employment opportunities, and stimulate technological innovation and exports.

The objectives of the fund are to establish an innovative infrastructure investment vehicle to attract and consolidate capital, serving as a dynamic driver for economic advancement.

Others are to execute strategic and meticulously chosen national infrastructure projects across several key sectors, including road, rail, agriculture (irrigation, storage, logistics & cold chain), ports, and aviation, among others..