Residents of Kebbi, Sokoto and Zamfara States have described the 1,068-kilometre Ilella-Sokoto-Badagry superhighway as one of the legacy projects of the Tinubu administration. They spoke in separate interviews on Wednesday, Nigeria’s 66th Independence Anniversary.
The Sokoto-Badagry corridor has been discussed for decades. It would link the northwest to the southwest and the coast. The Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway is the other major artery. Both are part of the Renewed Hope infrastructure agenda. Previous administrations promised similar projects. Few materialised. The current project is the largest road commitment in the region’s history.
Muhammad Anache, National Chairman of the Grassroots Advocacy for Peace and Good Governance, said the Tinubu and Idris administrations have performed well. He cited the superhighway, skills training for over 300 women and youths, the student loan scheme, electricity upgrades and the establishment of the Nigerian Institute for Trypanosomiasis Research in Bulasa. He also cited a salary increase for the military, ₦82 billion for the Sokoto Rima River Basin Development Authority, ₦16 billion for the National Commission for Almajiri and Out-of-School Children, and 250 housing units under the Renewed Hope Housing Estate in Kebbi. He mentioned the recruitment of Forest Guards and the Malando-Garin Baka-Ngaski-Warra road project.
In Sokoto, Majority Leader Bello Idris said the anniversary was worth celebrating. He cited developments in economic, social, education and health sectors. In Gusau, beneficiaries of the Renewed Hope Initiative praised its programmes. Malama Saude Aliyu, a beneficiary of the Elderly Support Programme, said the support made a meaningful impact. Binta Shuaibu, APC Women Leader in Maru Local Government, said the interventions reduced hardship and improved livelihoods. She listed programmes from 2023 to 2026, including elderly support, women in agriculture, scholarships for women in technology, and support for persons with disabilities.
Winners: The Tinubu administration, which gains endorsements. Beneficiaries, who receive support. Residents of the corridor, if the highway is built. Local politicians, who align with the projects. Losers: Critics who see the endorsements as partisan. States not on the corridor. Taxpayers, if projects are mismanaged. Residents, if the highway stalls.
Bottom Line: A 1,068km highway from Ilella to Badagry. Residents call it transformative. The project would connect the northwest to the coast. It would move goods and people. The promise is old. Delivery is the test.