Tinubu’s South-East Infrastructure Drive Wins Fresh Backing as Group Says Superhighway Will Unlock Regional Trade Revolution By Raymond Enoch
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s infrastructure agenda has received another major endorsement, with the The Democratic Front (TDF) describing the ongoing Trans-Saharan Superhighway project as a transformational investment capable of repositioning Nigeria’s South-East as a strategic gateway for regional and international commerce.
In a statement issued on Saturday and jointly signed by its Chairman, Danjuma Muhammad, and Secretary, Wale Adedayo, the group said the Tinubu administration’s commitment to the 123.6-kilometre highway demonstrates a deliberate policy aimed at deepening economic integration and expanding trade opportunities across the South-East and adjoining regions.
According to TDF, the N668 billion highway, which traverses Ebonyi State, the South-South corridor, and extends through Benue State, Kogi State, and Nasarawa State, ranks among the most significant infrastructure projects ever undertaken in the South-East because of its immense economic and commercial value.
The group argued that beyond improving transportation, the superhighway would stimulate interstate commerce, facilitate the movement of goods and people, and strengthen social and cultural ties among communities along the corridor.
TDF also referenced remarks by David Umahi, who reportedly described the project as a long-abandoned colonial-era infrastructure vision that previous administrations failed to execute because of inadequate funding and lack of political will.
The organisation maintained that the project reflects what it described as President Tinubu’s sustained commitment to addressing developmental concerns in the South-East through strategic infrastructure and institutional interventions.
It pointed to the establishment and funding of the South East Development Commission>, noting that the commission received an initial take-off grant of N140 billion to confront long-standing developmental challenges in the region.
According to the group, the South-East has consistently sought greater federal investment since the end of the Nigerian Civil War, adding that the scale of projects initiated under the Tinubu administration has surpassed previous interventions in the region.
TDF further commended the President for what it described as an equitable distribution of development projects across Nigeria, irrespective of political considerations, while attributing the government’s ability to finance such large-scale infrastructure to ongoing economic reforms, including the removal of fuel subsidy and the unification of the foreign exchange market.
The organisation urged residents of the South-East to continue supporting the Federal Government to ensure the timely completion of the Trans-Saharan Superhighway and other strategic projects, expressing confidence that the investments would enhance regional prosperity and strengthen Nigeria’s economic integration.
