Naomi Gabriel —
At the Trophee Babacar Ndiaye inaugural conference in Abuja yesterday, Nigerian President, Muhammadu Buhari said that road infrastructure remains one of the most critical aspects of national development that is capable of unlocking socio-economic benefits for the Nigerian citizens.
The Nigeria Government was also awarded the ‘Africa Road Builders-Trophee Babacar Ndiaye’ 2021 awards, in recognition of its efforts towards promoting infrastructure projects across the country.
According to Buhari, 79, represented by Babatunde Fashola, the country’s Minister of Works and Housing, Nigeria remains committed to the trans-African highway program which aims to connect the African continent through a major system of nine highways, covering a distance of 56,683 kilometers.
“I am delighted to report that our policies and programs that have been made over the years are beginning to bear fruit and results, he said.
“Very evidently, infrastructure investment is good for the economy. By building Roads, we are building economies.
“Our collaboration with the African Development Bank has been productive and results are now manifest in projects like the Mfum-Bamenda Bridge that connects Nigeria and the Republic of Cameroon.
“I also acknowledge the support of the Bank in financing feasibilities, consultancies and pre-construction work on the Lagos-Abidjan Corridor comprising Nigeria, the Republic of Benin, Togo, Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire which is part of Trans African Highway No. 7 from Dakar in Senegal to Lagos in Nigeria.
The president further explained that apart from the trans-African highway connections, the government is focused on rebuilding, expanding and replacing strategic highways and bridges across our country.
According to him, the Apapa-Oworonshoki Highway in Lagos is strategic for trade and business facilitation to support Apapa sea port and Tin Can Island.
The Nigerian former military ruler also noted that the Suleja-Minna Highway is critical to the nation’s petroleum distribution network and access to strategic petroleum products depot in Niger State, while the Calabar-Itu-Odukpani unlocks access to agricultural produce and supports mining and extractive activities for construction, in the South South and South East of Nigeria.
“These are only examples of over 13,000Km of Road and Bridge construction, expansion and rehabilitation nationwide. Our most recent GDP results of 3.40 percent, the biggest in the last 7 years clearly show that the construction sub-sectors and related sub-sectors of the economy were among the big performers of the growth surge”, the president noted.
