President Bola Tinubu has given the green light for the construction of the Sokoto-Badagry Highway, a vital infrastructure project that will span across seven states: Sokoto, Kebbi, Niger, Kwara, Oyo, Ogun, and Lagos.
Gatekeepers News reports that this approval is part of the National Construction and Household Support Programme, aimed at boosting agricultural productivity, strengthening the economy, and providing economic relief to Nigerians.
Speaking at the National Economic Council meeting in Abuja, Tinubu urged state governors to collaborate to address the needs of citizens, promising federal support to alleviate hardship. The programme prioritises key road infrastructure projects, including the Sokoto-Badagry Highway, Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, and Trans-Saharan Highway.
The President also approved full financing for the Port Harcourt-Maiduguri Railway and the Ibadan-Abuja segment of the Lagos-Kano Standard-Gauge Railway.
The Sokoto-Badagry road project is particularly significant, as it traverses states crucial to the nation’s agricultural sustainability, with 216 agricultural communities, 58 dams, and over one million hectares of arable land along the corridor.
Tinubu emphasized the urgency of boosting food production, noting that the states within the Sokoto-Badagry axis form the nation’s food belt, with Badagry being a vital artery for food export. He urged states to work together to deliver critical reforms, promising federal support for agricultural mechanization and high-quality seedlings.
