By Kazeem Waris
President Bola Tinubu has commissioned an 81-kilometre section of the Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano highway, with Minister of Works, Senator Dave Umahi, saying the stretch was completed in 13 months under the administration’s concrete pavement construction approach.
Umahi described the project as the fastest road completion in Nigeria’s history, contrasting the pace of construction with the previous administration’s delivery of 240 kilometres of the highway over eight years.
The minister spoke on Saturday during the commissioning of the completed section in Kaduna, as part of activities marking the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential campaign flag-off ahead of the January 16, 2027 election.
“Today, you are going to be commissioning 81 kilometres out of this 118. But let me place it on record that this project was completed in just 13 months. But 240 kilometres took eight years to be completed. This is the fastest project completion in the history of this country,” Umahi said.
The 81-kilometre stretch forms part of the 118-kilometre first lot of the highway project, which the minister said was valued at ₦252 billion.
He added that more than 95 per cent of the contract sum had been paid.
Second section nears completion
Umahi disclosed that construction was also progressing on the second section of the highway, covering 164 kilometres and valued at ₦505 billion.
According to him, more than 144 kilometres of the section had been completed, leaving approximately 20 kilometres to be delivered by the end of November.
He said reinforced concrete pavement was being used on the project, which forms part of the Federal Government’s broader road infrastructure programme.
The minister also disclosed that Tinubu had directed the installation of solar-powered streetlights along the entire 375-kilometre Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano highway.
Umahi said he inspected the road at night on Friday and expressed satisfaction with progress on the lighting project.
He further commended the President for expanding the scope of the highway programme to include additional sections around Chere-Zero towards Kogi State and the Aminu Kano International Airport, as well as completing a section in Kano State.
North-West gets 348km of completed roads
Providing an update on road infrastructure across the North-West, Umahi said 348 kilometres of roads had been completed in the zone out of 1,016 kilometres delivered nationwide.
He added that another 1,800 kilometres of roads in the North-West had been partially completed, while 4,083 kilometres of road projects were ongoing across the region.
Nationwide, the minister put the administration’s ongoing road construction portfolio at approximately 17,000 kilometres.
The figures were presented by the minister as part of the administration’s record on infrastructure delivery.
Work progresses on Sokoto-Badagry Superhighway
Umahi also provided an update on the 1,068-kilometre Sokoto-Badagry Superhighway, saying construction was progressing along the strategic corridor.
He reported that 948 kilometres of work were ongoing in Kebbi State, while work on a 240-kilometre section in Sokoto State had reached 60 per cent completion.
The minister said the scale of the ongoing projects required sustained investment and time to complete, expressing confidence that the administration’s infrastructure programme would make further progress if Tinubu remained in office beyond 2027.
He described the Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano highway as one of the administration’s major road projects and urged the President to sustain the pace of construction.
Umahi also commended Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani for consistently following up on the project and former Katsina State Governor Aminu Bello Masari for drawing the President’s attention to its progress.
Commissioning takes place during APC campaign launch
Tinubu formally commissioned the completed section by unveiling the project plaque during the Kaduna event.
The commissioning formed part of the APC’s presidential campaign activities, which brought together party leaders and governors from the North-West to demonstrate support for the President’s re-election bid.
The Federal Government has positioned road construction and rehabilitation as key components of its infrastructure agenda, with the Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano highway serving as a major transport corridor linking the Federal Capital Territory with several commercial centres in northern Nigeria.
