Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda revives colonial‑era superhighway in Southeast—Umahi

Politics

ABAKALIKI, Nigeria (NPA) — The Minister of Works, Senator Dave Umahi, has announced that several road projects for the South East region, originally conceived during the colonial era but left unrealised for decades, are now being revived under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

Speaking on Saturday in Ebonyi State, while conducting senior journalists and government officials on a tour of the administration’s legacy projects, Senator Umahi, former Governor of Ebonyi State, highlighted the Calabar–Ebonyi–Benue Trans‑Saharan Superhighway as a project of strategic importance to the South East, South South, and parts of the North Central region.

“It is a colonial‑era dream long forgotten, but President Tinubu has revived it, and construction is now underway. We must thank him immensely,” he said.

According to a statement issued by Tunde Rahman, Director of Media and Publicity for the Renewed Hope Ambassadors, the minister reported steady progress on the project. Section One, initially 118 kilometres, has been extended to 123.6 kilometres, with a contract sum of ₦45 billion, and dualisation works are ongoing. Section Two, which runs from the Aboadi border through Benue and Kogi States to Nasarawa, has also been awarded at a cost of ₦668 billion.

Umahi noted that the project has reached about 28 percent completion in some areas, with work continuing even during the rainy season, thanks to President Tinubu’s adoption of concrete road technology. He explained that the Trans‑Sahara Superhighway is not just a road but an investment corridor that will catalyse trade in agricultural produce such as cassava, yams, cashews, and palm oil from Cross River, Benue, and Ebonyi, while also connecting Nigeria to Cameroon.

During the tour, the team, including Senator Umahi, Acting Federal Controller in Ebonyi State Engr. Maxwell Okoh, and Mohammed Mustafa, Project Manager of Infiouest International Limited, inspected critical bridges in Section One and the concrete pavement on the Onueke section. They also inspected the 1.3‑kilometre Ndi‑Egbe Bridge in Afikpo LGA, which links Ugep in Cross River State and is expected to be completed by December 2026.

Regarding the Onueke Flyover in Ebonyi’s Central Senatorial District, Umahi explained that the ₦35 billion project is designed to decongest the highway. The flyover stands 90 metres high and is flanked by a 2.2‑kilometre road on both sides.

Ebonyi State Governor Francis Nwifuru declared that his state remains the safest in Nigeria, with no reported kidnapping cases since he assumed office. While receiving the media delegation in Abakaliki, he thanked President Tinubu for his commitment to infrastructure development in the South East, especially in Ebonyi, and highlighted numerous completed and ongoing projects in the state, including rural roads, primary health centres, and water schemes.

South East governors and leaders are scheduled to converge in Abakaliki on Monday at a major rally to endorse President Tinubu for a second term. Umahi said Governor Nwifuru would lead the people of Ebonyi State at the rally to show appreciation to President Tinubu, urging citizens to ignore the criticisms of opposition politicians.

The National Media Tour is organised by the Governor Hope Uzodimma‑led Renewed Hope Ambassadors, in collaboration with the Presidential Media Team. The visit to the South East is the team’s second regional tour, following their North West tour. The delegation is led by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, and Chief Sunday Dare, Special Adviser on Media and Public Communications, alongside other senior aides.

From Ebonyi, the team will proceed to Enugu State on Monday, and later to Abia, Anambra, and Imo States to inspect projects undertaken under the Renewed Hope Agenda.