Follow Us on Google
Vice President Kashim Shettima has said Saturday’s flag-off of rehabilitation work on the Bama–Banki Road and the Dikwa–Gamboru–Ngala Road in Borno State are strategic lifelines for trade, agriculture, security operations and post-insurgency recovery across the North-East.
Shettima, who performed the ceremony on behalf of President Bola Tinubu, said restoring road networks is central to reviving economic activity and reconnecting communities that have suffered years of violence and neglect.
According to a statement issued by Stanley Nkwocha, the Vice President said: “Roads are the lifeblood of our commercial engagements. They determine whether the farmer reaches the market, the trader reaches the customer, the child reaches school, the patient reaches care, and security agencies reach communities in time.”
The Vice President told the gathering that the two corridors would boost cross-border commerce and improve the mobility of security agencies across Borno and neighbouring countries. “Bad roads are also a security risk. A corridor that is difficult for citizens to travel is equally difficult for security personnel to patrol and protect,” he added.
Shettima said the government’s plan for the corridors includes reinforced concrete pavement, bridges, drainage, safety features and stronger supervision to ensure durability and value for public funds.
He commended Borno State Governor Babagana Zulum and federal works officials for the collaboration.
“Promises acquire meaning when citizens can drive on the roads, move their goods, reach their families and live with greater security,” he said, assuring residents of Bama, Banki, Dikwa, Gamboru–Ngala and other communities that the projects will be completed.
Zulum described the interventions as essential to repositioning Borno for business and said completion of the roads would expand economic activity into Chad, Cameroon and Niger. He thanked President Tinubu for the administration’s commitment to peace and development in the North-East and expressed gratitude to the Dangote Group for recent philanthropic and support initiatives in the state.
Other News
The Minister of Works, David Umahi, said the two road projects — first awarded in 2021 at a combined cost of about N55 billion — now have phase-one costs estimated at roughly N70 billion for Bama–Banki and N67 billion for Dikwa–Gamboru–Ngala. He praised the state government’s support and described President Tinubu as determined to complete abandoned infrastructure projects.
“He is a great thinker and a person who is poised to do the unthinkable. Under his watch, these projects will be actualised,” Umahi said.
Senator Mohammed Tahir Monguno, Chief Whip of the Senate, called the flag-off “a good step towards expanding the economy,” noting that the roads will link Nigeria more effectively with the trans-Saharan corridor and help mitigate insecurity by improving movement.
Chairman of the Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, who is co-funding elements of the work through tax relief arrangements, said the rehabilitation will strengthen trade ties between Nigeria and its neighbours.
“This is a historic occasion that boosts connectivity in West Africa,” he said, adding that his group has executed more than 1,000 kilometres of projects worth over N3 trillion and is ready to do more.
The Vice President also singled out the Minister of State for Works, Bello Goronyo, and the Borno State Commissioner for Works and Housing, Adam Balarabe, for their roles in advancing the projects.
Separately, during his visit to Maiduguri, Shettima attended the wedding fatiha of five sons of his associate Alhaji Ali “Empire” Gujja and also joined the fatiha for the daughter of another friend, Alhaji Bala Mohammed Bukar. At one ceremony, Shettima stood in for the bride’s father while Governor Zulum stood in for the groom’s father. He wished the couples long and happy married lives as they began their new homes.
