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From Shafa’atu Suleiman, Sokoto
CCTV cameras, security posts, and modern facilities are turning the Sokoto–Badagry Superhighway into more than just a road. The Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) and a coalition of community-based organisations (CBOs) said that the project is a major boost for safety, connectivity, and local development, promising to transform lives along its route.
During a site inspection and media tour on Thursday, led by the Senior Special Assistant to President Tinubu on Northwest Community Engagement, Alhaji Abdullahi Tanko-Yakasai, alongside the Ministry of Works’ Mr Ahmad Abdullahi, Sokoto State NSE Chairman Abubakar Ibrahim said that the project shows President Tinubu’s commitment to rural development and public safety.
“This road has freed rural communities from isolation. The CCTV cameras and emergency facilities will ensure safety and open new opportunities. Some people doubted it before, but now it is real,”
Dr Abdurrahman Umar, Secretary of the Coalition of NGOs in Sokoto State, described the superhighway as a landmark achievement.
He said that the highway links seven states from north to south and is being built to international standards. CCTV, solar lighting, and security posts will transform communities and boost economic activity.
Residents also praised the project. Alhaji Halliru Alfada said the road and its facilities would make farming and transport easier.
“Before, we struggled to move our produce during the rainy season. With this road and its security features, dry-season farming and market transport will be much easier.”
Another resident, Alhaji Maude Aliyu, added that the highway connects Katami, Alfada, Kabin Kaji, Gumbaye, Burgu, Gadanbe, Gidan Gara, and Silame communities, supporting diverse farming activities.
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The Project Manager of HITECH Construction, Johan Fourie, said that the project does not only fix infrastructure but provides job opportunities for locals who are employed across all six sites, engaged in clearing, concrete paving, solar lighting, and CCTV installation.
“The community support has been great, and works are progressing simultaneously at all sites,” he said.
Also speaking, the Federal Controller of Works in Sokoto, Mr Kassimu Maigwandu, said the project spans 120 km, featuring six lanes, bridges, a railway, solar lighting, CCTV cameras, health posts, and security stations for emergency response.
According to him, the project will boost agriculture, trade, tourism, education, and health in the communities it serves and beyond.
Tanko-Yakasai praised the highway as proof of President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda. He noted that the project, first conceived during President Shehu Shagari’s era, is now bringing tangible benefits to Nigerians.
He urged citizens to support continuity of people-oriented projects, praising Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, for driving four legacy highways across Nigeria.
The Sokoto–Badagry Superhighway was inaugurated on October 24, 2024, in Illela LGA and is part of the national effort to improve road safety, connectivity, and socio-economic growth.
