President Bola Tinubu has said his administration is investing in road infrastructure to provide the physical foundation for a knowledge-driven economy, stressing that education, justice and innovation require quality roads to thrive.
Tinubu stated this in Abuja on Tuesday while inaugurating the construction of Collector Road CO1 in the Institutional and Research District, stretching from Nile University to Ring Road III.
The President, represented by the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, said the project also includes the dualisation of the road from the Baze University roundabout to Nile University.
He noted that, three years into his administration, the results of government policies and projects were evident.
“From the Southern Parkway to the Institutional and Research District, we are laying the physical foundation for a knowledge-driven economy.
“Today, we are providing the roads needed to advance justice, education and innovation for our people.
“To the university community, this road is more than a route; it is a connection between learning, law and the future of our capital city,” he said.
Tinubu explained that the Institutional and Research District was conceived as the intellectual hub of Abuja, noting that universities, law chambers, research centres and innovation hubs were rapidly emerging in the area.
He, however, stressed that ideas could not flourish without the infrastructure needed to connect people and opportunities.
The President further stated, “Under the Renewed Hope Agenda, we made a choice to complete what was started and to begin what must be completed.
“The first phase of this corridor, connecting the Body of Benchers, Nile University and Baze University, is completed and ready for commissioning. Today, we are commencing the next phase to Ring Road III to complete the loop.
“That is how we build a city with a plan, not a collection of abandoned projects. Infrastructure must be continuous and beneficial to the people it serves.”
He commended the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, for transforming the FCT into what he described as a delivery-focused administration, adding that the ongoing transformation of Abuja under the minister’s leadership is bold, visible and commendable.
In his remarks, Wike explained that the project was initiated following a request by the Body of Benchers for access roads to improve movement in and out of the area.
He assured residents that the Tinubu administration would fulfil all its promises to the people of the FCT, adding that the project would be completed by January 2027.
The minister stated that he would continue to deliver impactful projects to residents in line with the President’s directive, stressing that project execution would not be affected by political activities ahead of the 2027 elections.
Earlier, the Acting Executive Secretary of the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA), Mr Richard Dauda, said the Institutional and Research District is located in Phase III of the Federal Capital City.
Dauda explained that the district was designed to accommodate universities, research institutions and other government establishments in line with the Abuja Master Plan.
He added that the district is being developed in phases, with the current project serving as a major intervention aimed at opening up the area for development.
According to him, the scope of the project includes the construction of Collector Road CO1 from Nile University to Ring Road III, covering a distance of approximately six kilometres.
He added that the project also includes the dualisation of the section between the Baze University Junction and Nile University.
