Abakaliki: The Renewed Hope National Media Tour commenced in Abakaliki, Ebonyi, on Saturday, marking the onset of its inspection of key legacy projects in the South Eastern region initiated by the Bola Tinubu administration, now three years in office. The tour aims to assess the progress and impact of these significant infrastructure projects.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, President Tinubu perceives road infrastructure as a vital foundation for national development. His administration’s strategy focuses on connecting farms to markets, industries to supply chains, and citizens to opportunities. Roads are not merely considered expenses but are seen as essential pathways to economic growth, national integration, and enhanced productivity.
Among the critical road projects undertaken by the administration is the extensive 780-kilometre Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, designed to boost coastal and tourism economies. Additionally, the ambitious over 1,000-kilometre Sokoto-Badagry Superhighway is expected to link communities and bolster cross-border trade. The administration is also working on rehabilitating and dualising major national arteries, including the Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano Road, the Abuja-Lokoja-Benin Road, and massive urban connectivity projects in the Federal Capital Territory.
In Ebonyi, the Tinubu administration’s road projects are a crucial component of its ‘Renewed Hope Agenda’ and regional legacy infrastructure programme. Strategic interventions and superhighways are actively under construction and inspection throughout the state. Notably, the Calabar-Ebonyi-Abuja Superhighway (Section One) is a massive legacy corridor connecting the South-South, South-East, and North-Central regions, spanning 123 kilometres from Calabar through Ebonyi to the Benue boundary.
The Amasiri-Okigwe Road, a 61-kilometre rehabilitation and construction project valued at N193 billion under the Dangote Tax Credit Scheme, connects Ebonyi with Abia and Imo states, replacing previously degraded sections. The Amasiri-Edda Road and Timber Shade-Afikpo Road (Phase One) aim to reduce travel time and connect rural communities through major ongoing interventions by the Federal Ministry of Works.
The Onueke Flyover and Highway, featuring a 90-metre flyover and 2.2 kilometres of side roads, is set to ease traffic and stimulate commercial activities in the area. During the media tour, Sen. Dave Umahi, Minister of Works and former governor of the state, guided the team through some of these legacy road projects. The tour included inspections of key bridges and road projects, such as the 90 metres link bridge in Section 1 and the concrete pavement on the Onueke section of the Calabar-Abuja Tran-Sahara Super Highway.
The team also reviewed the 1.3 kilometres Ndi-Egbe Bridge in Afikpo LGA of Ebonyi, linking Ugep in Cross River, expected to be completed by December 2026. Minister Umahi explained that the original scope of Section 1 of the project was 118 kilometres single carriageway, later expanded to cover both lanes of the 123.6 kilometres road at a cost of N445 billion, with ongoing procurement for the dualised component.
The minister mentioned that Section 2 of the superhighway runs from the Ebonyi border through Benue, Kogi, and ends at the Loko-Oweto bridge in Nasarawa State, spanning about 123.6 kilometres. He noted that the project is over 28 per cent completed, with continuous work despite the rainy season, utilising concrete technology for durability.
The media team also inspected a completed section of concrete pavement link road between Ebonyi and Cross River State, particularly from Okposi-Ukawu in Oha-Zara Local Government of Ebonyi and Ugwulangu-Abaomege in Ugep Local Government of Cross River. Minister Umahi highlighted the socio-economic and agricultural benefits of President Tinubu’s legacy projects, such as irrigation farming facilitated by the Sokoto-Badagry Super Highway corridor’s 73 dams, improved connectivity through the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, and other development initiatives attracting investors and enhancing quality of life.
Governor Francis Nwifuru of Ebonyi praised the media tour as an opportunity to showcase the administration’s achievements. He emphasized that Ebonyi remains the safest state in Nigeria, with no reported kidnap cases since he assumed office. While welcoming the media delegation in Abakaliki, Nwifuru expressed gratitude to the president for his commitment to infrastructure development in the South East, particularly in Ebonyi, and for his national renewal programme. He highlighted numerous completed and ongoing projects, including rural roads, primary health centres, and water schemes, underscoring the state’s active engagement with contractors.
The National Media Tour is organized by the Gov. Hope Uzodimma-led Renewed Hope Ambassadors, in collaboration with the Presidential Media Team. The South East visit marks the team’s second regional tour, following a visit to the North West. The delegation is led by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, and Chief Sunday Dare, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communications, along with senior editors and journalists from various media organizations across the country.