Nigeria’s Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, has underscored the construction of the 700-kilometre Akwanga, Jos, Bauchi, Gombe and Maiduguri Super Highway as a strategic investment aimed at strengthening national integration, expanding economic opportunities and improving connectivity across Nigeria.
The Information Minister disclosed this at the groundbreaking ceremony and flagged off the construction of Section I (125 kilometres) of the Akwanga-Jos Road, a major component of the 700-kilometre Akwanga, Jos, Bauchi, Gombe, and Maiduguri Super Highway.
Idris also said the project reflected President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s commitment to delivering transformative infrastructure under the Renewed Hope Agenda. According to him, the highway is more than a road construction project; it would create economic corridors, facilitate trade and connect communities across the country.
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“The President is not just building roads and bridges; he is creating economic corridors, linking communities, making trade possible and ensuring that the Nigerian economy is integrated for the benefit of all,” he said.
The Minister noted that more than 3,000 kilometres of road projects are currently underway across the country, saying the Tinubu administration is ensuring that no region is left behind in infrastructure development.
He noted that the Akwanga–Jos–Bauchi–Gombe Super Highway is one of President Tinubu’s four flagship legacy highway projects, alongside the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, the Sokoto-Badagry Super Highway and the Trans-Saharan Route, all designed to boost commerce, improve connectivity and unlock Nigeria’s economic potential.
The Minister also highlighted other key achievements of the Tinubu Administration, including reforms that have strengthened investor confidence, expanded access to higher education through the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), promoted local industrialisation and improved the nation’s economic outlook.
He further called on Nigerians to protect public infrastructure from vandalism, describing the projects as national assets that belong to all citizens and need to be sustained with full support.
“These roads belong to Nigerians. We must protect them and ensure they serve future generations. If your team is winning, you don’t replace it with the second eleven. Nigeria deserves the very best, and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is providing the leadership to build a stronger and more prosperous nation,” Idris stated.
Representing Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu, the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, highlighted ongoing progress on several legacy highway projects across the country. Stressing that the project shows the Tinubu’s administration was committed to completing the projects to stimulate economic growth, facilitate interstate commerce and strengthen national development.
He also urged contractors handling the projects to prioritise local content by employing and training young Nigerians.
“Do not just be contractors; be development partners. Train our youths, transfer skills, create jobs and build sustainable economies within the host communities,” he admonished.
On his part, the Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, described the highway as one of the landmark infrastructure projects of the Tinubu administration, saying it would transform transportation, investment and regional development.
According to Umahi, Nigeria was witnessing unprecedented investment in road infrastructure, noting that the administration’s reforms were restoring investor confidence and improving key economic indicators.
“President Tinubu is building infrastructure that will outlive all of us. These projects are laying the foundation for Nigeria’s long-term economic prosperity,” Umahi stated.
The minister also cited improvements in education financing, industrialisation and investor confidence as evidence that government reforms were yielding positive results.
Also speaking on behalf of Governors of benefiting states from the project, the Governor of Plateau State, Caleb Mutfwang, said the commencement of the project is the fulfilment of a long-standing aspiration of the people of Plateau and the North-East. He noted that the highway would improve access to markets, promote agricultural development and enhance regional economic integration.
“This is a dream come true. The road will not only benefit Plateau State but also serve the entire North-East and strengthen economic activities across the country,” he said.
The governor commended President Tinubu for approving the project and praised the Minister of Works for driving its implementation.
The Akwanga, Jos, Bauchi, Gombe and Maiduguri Super Highway is one of the Federal Government’s flagship infrastructure initiatives under the Renewed Hope Agenda and is expected to improve transportation, reduce travel time, enhance security, promote commerce and accelerate economic development across the North-Central and North-East regions.
