Vice President Kashim Shettima, says the massive infrastructure investments being undertaken by the administration of President Bola Tinubu are connecting Nigeria’s major economic corridors and strengthening regional trade.
Speaking in Lafia, Nasarawa State on Wednesday, during the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential campaign rally, the Vice President said the Federal Government’s investments in strategic transport infrastructure are designed to link agricultural and industrial production centres with markets, stimulate employment and accelerate economic development across the nation’s geopolitical zones.
He noted that the President’s move has also reduced transportation costs and opened new opportunities for businesses and communities across the country.
The Vice President described the Akwanga–Jos–Bauchi–Gombe–Biu–Maiduguri Superhighway as a major component of the administration’s infrastructure development agenda, explaining that the project will strengthen economic connections between the North-Central and North-Eastern regions.
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VP Shettima said the project, alongside the Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway and the Sokoto–Badagry Superhighway, reflects the administration’s determination to address Nigeria’s infrastructure deficit and create a more integrated national economy.
“We have promised to connect producers and markets. We have promised to ease movement across regions. We have promised to generate employment. We have promised to diminish costs that burden traders and families. This is what we are doing, and we have come to ask for your support for another term to complete this mission,” he said.
The Vice President explained that improved road connectivity would facilitate the movement of agricultural produce, minerals and manufactured goods, bringing farms, mines and factories closer to consumers and businesses.
He said the administration’s infrastructure programme is being supported by economic reforms introduced to strengthen public finances, improve government revenues and restore investor confidence.
“We inherited an economy burdened by fiscal pressure. We inherited a country with an infrastructure deficit. We inherited a country with weakened investor confidence and structural defects. These problems demanded decisions that no responsible government could postpone. But I come to you to assure you that the worst days are over. We have already fixed our economy,” he stated.
VP Shettima maintained that the administration’s fiscal reforms had improved revenue generation and increased allocations to subnational governments, providing additional resources for infrastructure development and other public investments.
“The Renewed Hope Agenda of His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has been a long-awaited silver lining. We have pursued reforms to protect public finances. We have pursued reforms to raise revenue. We have pursued reforms to restore investor confidence and encourage Nigerian production,” he said.
He noted that Nasarawa State, with its vast agricultural and mineral resources, stands to benefit from improved transportation networks and the administration’s emphasis on domestic production and industrial development.
Education
On education, the Vice President highlighted the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), saying students from Nasarawa State have access to financing for higher education under the Federal Government’s student loan programme.
He also disclosed that President Tinubu had approved the conversion of the Federal Polytechnic, Nasarawa, into the Federal University of Mining, Engineering and Technology, describing the initiative as a strategic investment in the technical manpower required to develop Nigeria’s solid minerals sector.
“This decision recognises Nasarawa State’s mineral endowment and the need to educate engineers, scientists and technologists who can transform that wealth into a lasting industrial advantage,” he said.
The VP further identified mineral processing as a major priority of the administration’s industrial policy, recalling the commissioning of the Diamond New Energy Lithium Processing Plant in Nasarawa State.
He explained that the government’s reforms are intended to encourage domestic processing of mineral resources, create manufacturing jobs and retain greater economic value within Nigeria.
“We have put in place reforms that allow Nigerians to earn far more from mineral processing, create manufacturing jobs and reduce the export of raw minerals, rather than surrender higher-value work, its rewards and our industrial future to other countries,” he stated.
Acknowledging the economic difficulties experienced by Nigerians, VP Shettima said the government remained conscious of the sacrifices associated with its reforms, assuring Nigerians that the administration was determined to translate the gains into improved living conditions.
“We are not in denial about the short-term pain that has accompanied our reforms. We have already come through that surgery, and believe me, it was successful,” he assured.
The Vice President also commended Nasarawa State Governor, Abdullahi Sule, for his administration’s investments in roads, flyovers, urban infrastructure, education, healthcare and public institutions.
He praised the Governor’s leadership and contributions to the development of the state, noting that increased fiscal allocations had provided additional opportunities for state governments to implement development projects.
VP Shettima said the APC was returning to Nigerians to present an account of its stewardship and seek a renewed mandate for President Tinubu and the party’s candidates.
“We have come here today because we owe Nigerians an account of our stewardship,” he said, adding that the administration was seeking the opportunity to complete ongoing development programmes.
He also called for peaceful political participation and urged supporters to reject violence during the electoral process.
“I trust you to resist any temptation to yield to violence and prove to all detractors that ours is a politics based on issues,” the Vice President stated.
VP Shettima thanked the people of Nasarawa State for their support since 2023 and reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to the state’s development priorities.
Earlier, on arrival, the Vice President went to the palace of the Emir of Lafia, His Royal Highness, Justice Sidi Bage Muhammad I (rtd), where he conveyed President Tinubu’s greetings to the royal father, declaring that it was a pleasure to return home.
Senator Shettima described him as a man whose life has been devoted to the service of justice and applauded him for promoting peace.
