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From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
Vice President Kashim Shettima has urged Nigerians to re-elect President Bola Tinubu in 2027, arguing that his administration’s massive infrastructure investments, particularly the Akwanga-Jos-Bauchi-Gombe-Biu-Maiduguri Superhighway, would transform regional economies, boost trade and reduce transportation costs.
Shettima said the proposed superhighway would strengthen economic connections between the North-Central and North-East, linking agricultural and mineral-producing communities to markets and opening up new opportunities for businesses.
The Vice President made the appeal on Wednesday at the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential campaign rally in Lafia, Nasarawa State, where he presented the Tinubu administration’s infrastructure and economic reform programmes as reasons Nigerians should renew the President’s mandate.
He described infrastructure development as a major pillar of the administration’s economic transformation agenda, citing the Akwanga-Jos-Bauchi-Gombe-Biu-Maiduguri Superhighway, the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway and the Sokoto-Badagry Superhighway as strategic projects designed to integrate the national economy.
“We have promised to connect producers and markets. We have promised to ease movement across regions. We have promised to generate employment. We have promised to diminish costs that burden traders and families. This is what we are doing, and we have come to ask for your support for another term to complete this mission,” he said.
Shettima explained that improved road networks would facilitate the movement of agricultural produce, solid minerals and manufactured goods, bringing farms, mines and factories closer to consumers while reducing the cost of doing business.
He said the infrastructure programme was being complemented by economic reforms aimed at strengthening public finances, increasing government revenue and restoring investor confidence.
“We inherited an economy burdened by fiscal pressure. We inherited a country with an infrastructure deficit. We inherited a country with weakened investor confidence and structural defects. These problems demanded decisions that no responsible government could postpone. But I come to you to assure you that the worst days are over. We have already fixed our economy,” the Vice President declared.
Acknowledging the economic difficulties associated with the reforms, Shettima said the government was conscious of the sacrifices Nigerians had made but maintained that the country had overcome the most difficult phase.
“We are not in denial about the short-term pain that has accompanied our reforms. We have already come through that surgery, and believe me, it was successful,” he said.
On Nasarawa State’s development prospects, the Vice President highlighted its agricultural and mineral resources, saying improved infrastructure and increased domestic processing would enable the state to maximise its economic potential.
He also disclosed that President Tinubu had approved the conversion of the Federal Polytechnic, Nasarawa, into the Federal University of Mining, Engineering and Technology.
According to him, the decision was intended to develop the technical manpower required to harness the country’s solid mineral resources and drive industrialisation.
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“This decision recognises Nasarawa State’s mineral endowment and the need to educate engineers, scientists and technologists who can transform that wealth into a lasting industrial advantage,” he said.
Shettima also cited the commissioning of the Diamond New Energy Lithium Processing Plant in Nasarawa as evidence of the administration’s commitment to domestic mineral processing, manufacturing and job creation.
He said the reforms would enable Nigerians to derive greater economic value from the country’s mineral resources instead of exporting them in their raw form.
The Vice President further highlighted the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), saying students from Nasarawa State could access financial support to pursue higher education.
He commended Governor Abdullahi Sule for investments in roads, flyovers, education, healthcare and other public infrastructure, attributing the increased development activities across states partly to improved federal allocations.
Shettima said the APC had returned to Nigerians to present its scorecard and seek another mandate to complete ongoing projects and programmes.
He also urged political supporters to shun violence and embrace issue-based campaigns ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Earlier, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, urged Nasarawa residents to support Tinubu’s re-election, arguing that continuity was necessary to complete the administration’s ongoing projects.
The APC National Chairman, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, and the Chairman of the Progressive Governors Forum, Senator Hope Uzodimma, also called on the people of Nasarawa and the North-Central region to vote for Tinubu and other APC candidates in 2027.
The party’s governorship candidate in Nasarawa State, Senator Ahmed Wadada, defended the Federal Government’s economic reforms, citing developments in infrastructure and the capital market as evidence of progress.
Before the rally, Shettima paid a courtesy visit to the Emir of Lafia, Justice Sidi Bage Muhammad I (retd.), where he conveyed President Tinubu’s greetings and described Nasarawa as a miniature Nigeria because of its ethnic and cultural diversity.
The Emir wished Tinubu success in the forthcoming elections, saying Nigerians would ultimately determine their preferred leader. He also commended Shettima for his loyalty to the President and his contributions to national development.
