Justina SIMON
President Bola Tinubu on Monday launched the construction of the access road linking Tungan Madaki Community to the Abuja-Kaduna Expressway.
Tinubu described the project as another step towards integrating satellite towns into the economic life of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The president was represented by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas.
The project is a continuation of the Bill Clinton Drive-Tungan Madaki Road, commissioned a few weeks ago as part of activities marking the third anniversary of the Tinubu administration.
Tinubu said the extension would transform what began as a single road into a growing network capable of stimulating development across the corridor.
According to him, Tungan Madaki, Zuba and neighbouring communities are home to farmers, traders, students and families whose economic activities had long been constrained by poor road infrastructure.
He noted that residents had endured years of difficult access, especially during the rainy season when communities became isolated, harvested produce perished before reaching markets and transportation costs remained high.
“That changes today,” the president declared.
He said the new road would provide a direct connection to the Abuja-Kaduna Expressway, reduce travel time, lower vehicle maintenance costs and create a faster route for the movement of people and agricultural produce.
Tinubu said improved connectivity would strengthen food supply chains, reduce food prices, encourage rural enterprise and enhance security response across the area.
“Infrastructure is not just concrete and asphalt. It is the bridge between potential and prosperity, and that is the core of the Renewed Hope Agenda,” he said.
The president also described the project as strategically important to the FCT, saying it would reduce pressure on the city centre, provide alternative routes for commuters and strengthen the economic corridor linking Abuja with Kaduna and the wider North-West region.
He added that the road would improve investor confidence by opening the axis for housing, educational institutions, healthcare facilities and industrial development.
Tinubu commended the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, and the FCT Administration for what he described as the speed and discipline with which infrastructure projects were being executed.
He said the administration had prioritised the completion of abandoned projects and the delivery of infrastructure with visible impact on citizens.
“When I gave the charge to transform the FCT, the instruction was simple: deliver tangible outcomes that improve daily life. The work speaks for itself,” he said.
The president said the construction would also create employment opportunities for youths and stimulate economic activities in transportation, supply and other service sectors after completion.
He urged the contractor to maintain quality standards, deliver the project on schedule and engage local labour, while calling on residents of Tungan Madaki, Zuba and surrounding communities to cooperate with the construction company.
Earlier, Wike said the project underscored Tinubu’s directive that development should extend beyond the city centre to satellite towns and area councils.
The minister said the road became possible following a request by the Chairman of the Gwagwalada Area Council after the council elections, who appealed for a direct connection between Tungan Madaki and the Abuja-Kaduna Highway.
According to Wike, the new road will provide residents of Zuba with a more direct route into Abuja without having to pass through Gwagwalada.
He also said the project would improve access to the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport for communities along the corridor, noting that residents had long requested better connectivity rather than financial compensation.
The minister expressed appreciation to Tinubu and the National Assembly for supporting infrastructure development in the FCT.
He also thanked the contractor, China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC), expressing confidence that the road would be completed and commissioned by December.
Describing the project as “a Christmas gift” to the people of Tungan Madaki and Zuba, Wike said the administration remained committed to fulfilling the president’s promise of extending development to every part of the FCT.
