***Lawmakers push for fair infrastructure allocation, urge urgent road repairs nationwide
The Nigerian Senate has taken a bold step in 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) highlighted 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 which are 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 prioritize 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 on construction and maintenance of roads. He opined that no matter how many roads are constructed, without maintenance, they will eventually breakdown and join the multitude of bad ones already in existence.
“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 road map on how to maintain our roads and ensure their reconstruction.
“We’ll continue to have this kind of issues 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 Rivers State was done in 1975 but with a provision that there should be an overlay in seven years, but 40 years after, that overlay was not done.”
Supporting the motion, Senator Sani Musa (Niger East) called for a nationwide emergency on road repairs, emphasizing that infrastructural neglect has hindered economic progress.
With growing pressure from the legislature, the question remains: Will Tinubu’s administration heed the call and finally bridge the Northeast’s infrastructure gap?
