Special Adviser to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Media and Public Communication, Sunday Dare, has said visible progress on the Sokoto-Badagry Super Highway has effectively silenced critics who doubted the Federal Government’s commitment to delivering the ambitious legacy project.
Dare spoke in Birnin Kebbi while leading members of the Presidential Media Team and Renewed Hope Ambassadors on an inspection tour of sections of the 1,068-kilometre highway corridor passing through Kebbi State.
According to him, the visit was aimed at providing first-hand evidence of work being executed under the Tinubu administration and showcasing developmental projects across the Northwest.
“The very essence of our coming is to set the record straight and showcase the achievements of the administration of President Tinubu in this state and the Northwest as a region,” Dare said.
“Seeing is believing. We’ve come, we’ve seen it, and we’re standing on the roads he has done.
“We’re standing on concrete roads. We’re seeing testimonials from people in these communities who say this project was abandoned for decades and has now been reactivated.”
He added that there was “clear evidence of work being done,” including completed sections, ongoing construction, and visible economic impact on surrounding communities.
Dare described the Sokoto-Badagry Super Highway and the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway as critical pillars of President Tinubu’s long-term infrastructure agenda aimed at repositioning Nigeria as a modern 21st-century economy.
According to him, the projects are central to the administration’s plan to build a $1 trillion economy through strategic infrastructure investments.
During the inspection, Kebbi State Deputy Governor, Umar Abubakar Tafida, praised Tinubu for reviving the Sokoto-Badagry Highway project more than four decades after it was first conceived during the administration of late President Shehu Shagari.
Tafida noted that the longest stretch of the road, about 258 kilometres, lies within Kebbi State and would significantly boost agriculture, trade, and tourism by linking the Northwest with the Southwest.
According to him, the project reflects Tinubu’s “nationalistic view” of development because it cuts across several states and connects major agricultural and commercial hubs.
“Transport and development go hand in hand. Farmers will now find it easier to move equipment and transport farm produce to markets quickly,” the deputy governor said.
“Perishable goods like tomatoes can now reach markets in good time without losses associated with bad roads.”
He said the road would improve the movement of agricultural products such as rice, onions, and tomatoes from Kebbi to other parts of the country.
Tafida also commended the quality of work on the project, including the use of concrete pavement and solar-powered streetlights, while assuring that the state government was working closely with security agencies to protect workers and host communities.
According to him, the project had remained on paper for decades until Tinubu reviewed the design and approved its execution.
“This plan has been there for a very long time, but President Tinubu came, reviewed the design and masterplan, made adjustments, and awarded the contract. Today, it is almost becoming history because the work is progressing steadily,” he said.