President Bola Tinubu has said that his administration’s economic reforms have strengthened the nation’s economy and significantly improved revenue accruing to states.
Tinubu, represented by the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Prof Nentawe Yilwatda, stated this during the flag-off of the rehabilitation of the Babban-Lamba-Sharam Phase II Road in Kanke Local Government Area of Plateau State.
According to him, the reforms have freed states from borrowing to pay workers’ salaries, declaring that improved revenue allocations now enable sub-national governments to meet salary obligations, pay gratuities and execute developmental projects without resorting to loans.
He said; “Our economic reforms are improving governance because all the economic indicators are pointing in a positive direction, from our GDP to our foreign reserves and other economic indices.
“Nigeria has turned from amber to green. These are positive signs for our economy. Today, more revenue is coming to the states. No state receives less than three to four times what it used to receive.
“State revenues have increased, and states can now afford to execute projects without taking loans or issuing bonds. Before we came into office, over 30 states owed salaries. Today, no state owes salaries because the improved revenue allows them to pay salaries, gratuities and also embark on developmental projects,” the President added.
Tinubu described the Babban-Lamba-Sharam Phase II Road as a strategic federal highway that would stimulate economic growth by linking Plateau State with Nasarawa, Kaduna, Gombe and Adamawa states while strengthening trade and movement across the North-Central and North-East.
He said the project forms part of the administration’s legacy infrastructure programme aimed at connecting communities, opening up businesses, improving security and promoting inclusive economic development.
The President disclosed that the Federal Government is currently executing 61 road projects across the North-Central zone, with five completed, 25 major projects under construction and 31 emergency intervention projects ongoing.
He also highlighted other legacy infrastructure projects of the administration, including the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, the Badagry-Sokoto Super Highway and the Calabar-Abuja corridor, saying they would improve connectivity and economic integration across the six geopolitical zones.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, announced at the ceremony that the Federal Government had terminated the earlier contract covering the first 6.15 kilometres of the road due to poor performance by the contractor.
Umahi said the remaining 40 kilometres would be reconstructed using continuous reinforced concrete pavement, which he described as President Tinubu’s legacy road standard designed to serve future generations.
The minister disclosed that the road would be equipped with solar-powered streetlights, security cameras, observation stations and tree planting to enhance safety and environmental sustainability.
He also assured the Plateau State Government that the Federal Government would consider constructing a bypass on the Akwanga-Jos Road to ease traffic congestion.
Also speaking, Governor Caleb Mutfwang commended President Tinubu for reviving the Babban-Lamba-Sharam Road project, which was first awarded on 26 April 2018 but had remained largely dormant for years.
He described the project as a major boost to economic activities in Plateau and neighbouring states.
“No President has remembered Plateau in terms of infrastructure like President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. This road is more than a road; it is an opening of opportunities and a gateway to greater economic possibilities,” the governor said.
Mutfwang noted that the project, alongside the ongoing reconstruction of the Akwanga-Jos Road, would improve transportation, commerce and regional integration.
He also appealed to the Federal Government to also prioritise the rehabilitation of the Jos-Mangu-Kanke-Shendam-Ibi Road linking Plateau and Taraba states, describing it as another strategic federal highway that would further unlock economic opportunities in the region.
On his part, the member representing Pankshin/Kanke/Kanam Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Hon. Yusuf Gagdi, commended President Tinubu for prioritising infrastructure development and implementing policies aimed at repositioning the country’s economy.
He urged residents of Plateau State and Nigerians to continue supporting the Tinubu administration, stressing that the government’s ongoing reforms and infrastructure investments would yield greater benefits in the years ahead.
The Babban-Lamba-Sharam Phase II Road, first awarded on 26 April 2018, is a strategic federal highway serving communities in Plateau, Nasarawa, Kaduna, Gombe and Adamawa states.
