By Beatrice Gondyi
The Federal Government has commenced the rehabilitation of the Bama-Banki Road and the Dikwa-Gamboru-Ngala Road in Borno State, describing the projects as strategic corridors for trade, agriculture, security operations, and post-insurgency recovery in the North-East region.
Vice President Kashim Shettima, who performed the flag-off ceremony on Saturday on behalf of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, said the road projects reflect the administration’s commitment to restoring mobility, rebuilding economic confidence, and reconnecting communities that have endured years of insecurity and infrastructural neglect.
Speaking at the event in Maiduguri, Shettima said the two corridors would strengthen cross-border economic activity with Chad, Cameroon, and Niger Republic, and also widen the reach of security agencies across the North-East.
“Roads are the live wire 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 stated.
He noted that President Tinubu had made infrastructure a central priority because poor road networks impose heavy costs on households, businesses, and communities, while also slowing commerce, raising the cost of food, isolating communities, discouraging investment, and weakening the productive capacity of local economies.
Shettima observed that in a region still recovering from the impact of insurgency, road rehabilitation must be treated as both an economic and security intervention. He said damaged routes make movement difficult for citizens and also limit the ability of security personnel to patrol, protect, and respond swiftly to emergencies.
“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 stated.
The Vice President described the Bama-Banki corridor as a route of special strategic weight, adding that the Dikwa-Gamboru-Ngala road forms part of the same vision to reconnect communities and restore confidence across Borno State. He explained that the projects would include reinforced concrete pavement, bridges, drainage systems, safety facilities, and other supporting infrastructure.
Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, said the two road projects, first awarded in 2021 at a combined cost of about N55 billion, are now valued at over N70 billion for the Bama-Banki Road and approximately N67 billion for the Dikwa-Gamboru-Ngala Road. He thanked Borno State Governor, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum, for supporting the projects, and expressed confidence that President Tinubu would ensure their completion.
Umahi said the roads would be constructed using concrete pavement technology, which offers superior performance, longer lifespan, reduced maintenance requirements, and greater value for money. He added that the scope of works also includes the construction and maintenance of bridges, traffic safety facilities, and other ancillary infrastructure.
Governor Zulum said his administration is ready to reposition Borno for business, noting that the completion of the two roads will enhance economic activities in the state as well as Chad, Cameroon, and Niger Republic. He thanked President Tinubu for his unwavering commitment to the development, peace, and security of the entire North-East region and pledged more votes for the President in next year’s election.
Chairman of the Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, whose conglomerate is collaborating with the Federal Government through the Roads Infrastructure Tax Credit Scheme, said the projects will facilitate trade relations between Nigeria and three neighbouring countries. He described the occasion as historic for connectivity in West Africa and pledged his company’s continued support for national infrastructure development.
Chief Whip of the Senate, Senator Mohammed Tahir Mongonu, said the flag-off was a good step towards expanding the economy, as the roads serve as trade links to the trans-Saharan corridor. He said when completed, the roads will transform the economy, enhance the development of the North-East zone and Nigeria at large, and also help avert insecurity in the region.
Assuring residents of Bama, Banki, Dikwa, Gamboru-Ngala, and other communities along the corridors, Vice President Shettima said the projects would be pursued to completion, adding that the Federal Government would continue to work with the state government, contractors, host communities, and relevant institutions to ensure the roads become pathways of commerce, security, and renewed confidence.
Meanwhile, as part of his engagements in Maiduguri, Vice President Shettima also attended the wedding fatiha of five sons of his close associate, Alhaji Ali Gujja, popularly called Empire, and also graced the wedding fatiha of the daughter of another friend, Alhaji Bala Mohammed Bukar.
At the wedding representing the others, the Vice President stood in for the father of the bride while Governor Zulum stood in for the father of the groom. The Vice President wished all the couples long life and happy married lives as they start their new homes.
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