The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, says President Bola Tinubu’s 700-kilometre legacy highway project will strengthen national connectivity and serve as a major economic corridor linking several states.
Idris spoke on Wednesday in Lafia at the commencement of Section One of the Akwanga–Jos–Bauchi–Gombe Super Highway project.
The corridor spans Akwanga, Jos, Bauchi, Gombe, Yobe and Maiduguri.
Describing the project as a major infrastructure investment, the minister said it would transform Nigeria’s economy, create jobs and promote national integration.
“President Tinubu is not just building roads; he is building economic corridors that will facilitate trade and create jobs,” Idris said.
He added that the highway represents “Renewed Hope in action” through improved connectivity and inclusive development.
Idris identified the project as one of four flagship legacy highway schemes under the administration, alongside the Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway, the Sokoto–Badagry Super Highway and the Trans-Saharan Route.
According to him, the initiatives are designed to expand commerce and unlock Nigeria’s economic potential.
The minister also highlighted broader reforms in education, industrialisation and economic management under the Tinubu administration, citing initiatives such as the Nigerian Education Loan Fund as examples of expanded access to higher education.
Using a football analogy, Idris urged Nigerians to continue supporting the administration.
“If your team is winning, you don’t replace it with the second eleven. Nigeria deserves the very best, and President Bola Tinubu is providing the leadership needed,” he said.
He dismissed suggestions of regional imbalance in federal infrastructure projects, insisting that ongoing works reflected a commitment to national unity and balanced development.
President Tinubu, represented at the event by the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, formally inaugurated the project.
He said the highway forms a key part of the Renewed Hope Agenda and would stimulate economic growth, particularly in northern Nigeria.
The Federal Executive Council (FEC) approved the project for phased execution, beginning with the Akwanga–Jos section.
The first phase covers 125 kilometres across Nasarawa, Kaduna and Plateau states.
Tinubu said mobilisation had already commenced on the Gombe section extending towards Maiduguri, while construction on the Akwanga–Jos carriageway was also underway.
He added that other sections of the corridor were being prepared for procurement and contract awards, with the full highway expected to span about 700 kilometres across major northern cities.
