The Federal Government has dismissed claims that Northern Nigeria has been neglected in infrastructure development, insisting that ongoing road and energy projects across the region reflect President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to balanced national development.
The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Public Enlightenment, Abdulaziz Abdulaziz, stated this on Thursday while inspecting the Kaduna Western Bypass and other ongoing federal projects in Kaduna.
The inspection was part of a regional tour of Federal Government projects across northern states to assess the level of progress on critical infrastructure.
According to Abdulaziz, the tour was aimed at providing first-hand information on ongoing projects and countering what he described as misinformation that the current administration has concentrated development in other parts of the country.
“We embarked on this tour because seeing is believing. What we have witnessed over the past four days clearly shows that claims that the North has been abandoned are not supported by facts.
“Virtually all the major Federal Government projects we have visited are active construction sites, and work is progressing steadily,” he said.
He explained that the 21.5-kilometre Kaduna Western Bypass, awarded under the Federal Government’s tax credit scheme in 2021, recorded slow progress until the Tinubu administration reviewed tax credit projects and directed contractors to accelerate work.
Abdulaziz said the project would ease movement between Abuja and the North-West states, including Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Jigawa, Kebbi, Sokoto and Zamfara, when completed.
He expressed optimism that the bypass would be completed by December 2026, noting that it would reduce travel time, improve road safety, lower vehicle maintenance costs and boost economic activities.
The presidential aide added that other major projects, including the Abuja-Kaduna-Kano, AKK, Gas Pipeline, Kano Northern Bypass and the Zaria-Funtua-Gusau-Sokoto Road, were also progressing steadily.
According to him, the AKK Gas Pipeline would enhance industrialisation, improve energy supply and create jobs across Northern Nigeria.
“The AKK project is a game changer because it will revive industries, provide cleaner energy and support economic growth across the region,” he added.
Also speaking, the Project Manager of Dantata and Sawoe Construction Company, Engr. Cumhur Kesan, said work on the Kaduna Western Bypass was progressing despite challenges posed by the rainy season and traffic management.
Representing Dangote Industries Limited, Engr. Jonathan Obrusu said funding was no longer a challenge, adding that technical issues had been resolved to ensure timely completion of the project.
The Chief Resident Engineer of the Federal Ministry of Works for the Western Bypass, Engr. Jibril Zubairu, disclosed that the project had reached about 50 per cent physical completion and 35 per cent financial completion.
He expressed confidence that the dual carriageway would be completed before the end of the year, noting that it would improve traffic flow around Kaduna metropolis and strengthen connectivity along the Abuja-Kaduna-Kano transport corridor.
A motorist, Ayuba Ibrahim, also commended the project, saying it had eased traffic congestion on the route.
Abdulaziz further inspected a Compressed Natural Gas, CNG, outlet along the Kaduna-Abuja road, where tricycle operators expressed satisfaction with the availability and affordability of the gas compared to Premium Motor Spirit, PMS, also known as petrol.
NAN
