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President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Monday reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to extending infrastructure development beyond Abuja’s city centre with the flag-off of the access road linking Tungan Madaki to the Abuja-Kaduna Expressway through Zuba, describing the project as a key step in integrating satellite communities into the Federal Capital Territory’s development agenda.
Represented by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, the President, said the road project forms part of the Renewed Hope Agenda to ensure that residents of rural and suburban communities enjoy the same access to infrastructure and economic opportunities as those in the nation’s capital.
He explained that the project is a continuation of the recently commissioned Bill Clinton Drive-Tungan Madaki Community Road and would strengthen the transport network linking communities on the outskirts of Abuja.
“This project is a direct continuation of the road from the Bill Clinton Drive to Tungan Madaki Community Road, which we commissioned a few weeks ago as part of activities marking the third anniversary of the Renewed Hope Administration.
“What began as one road is now growing into a network, and that is how real development takes root,” Tinubu said.
The President noted that residents of Tungan Madaki, Zuba and neighbouring communities, many of them farmers, traders and students, had endured years of poor road infrastructure that slowed economic activities, increased transportation costs and limited access to essential services.
According to him, the new road will provide a direct link to the Abuja-Kaduna Expressway, reduce travel time, lower vehicle operating costs and facilitate the movement of people and agricultural produce.
“It will connect rural productivity to urban opportunity. When farmlands are opened, food becomes cheaper in our markets. When communities are connected, young people have more reason to build enterprises at home,” he said.
Tinubu described infrastructure as the foundation of economic prosperity, saying investments in roads remain central to his administration’s strategy for inclusive growth.
“Infrastructure is not just concrete and asphalt. It is the bridge between potential and prosperity, and that is the core of the Renewed Hope Agenda,” he added.
He said the project would also decongest the city centre, improve regional connectivity and strengthen the economic corridor linking the Federal Capital Territory with Kaduna and other parts of the North-West.
The President commended the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, for what he described as the rapid execution of infrastructure projects across the territory.
“From major highways to community access roads like this one, we are seeing a return to planning, a rejection of abandoned projects and a focus on results that citizens can feel,” he said.
Tinubu also directed the contractor to ensure quality delivery within the schedule while engaging local labour to maximise employment opportunities for residents.
Earlier, the FCT Minister, Barr. Nyesom Wike said the project was in fulfilment of Tinubu’s directive that satellite towns and area councils should be fully integrated into Abuja’s road network.
According to him, the decision to extend the road from Tungan Madaki to the Abuja-Kaduna Expressway followed a request by the Chairman of Gwagwalada Area Council, who sought a direct route that would ease movement for residents.
“It has been the directive of the President that all communities and all satellite towns must be linked to the city. What we are doing today is fulfilling that promise,” Wike said.
He noted that upon completion, the road would provide residents of Zuba and adjoining communities with direct access to Abuja and the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport without passing through Gwagwalada, thereby reducing travel time and boosting economic activities.
Expressing confidence in the contractor, China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC), Wike said the project was expected to be completed before the end of the year.
“We are putting pressure on the contractor to ensure that by December, by the grace of God, we will commission this road. For the people of Tungan Madaki and Zuba, this is a Christmas gift,” he said.
In her vote of thanks, the Minister of State for the FCT, Dr Mariya Mahmoud, described the project as another demonstration of the Tinubu administration’s determination to extend infrastructure and economic opportunities to underserved communities.
She said the road would improve connectivity, stimulate commerce, attract investment and enhance the quality of life of residents in Tungan Madaki, Zuba and neighbouring communities.
Mahmoud added that the project reflected the FCT Administration’s resolve to ensure that no community is left behind in the ongoing transformation of the nation’s capital, while expressing appreciation to President Tinubu for providing the leadership driving what she described as unprecedented infrastructure development across the FCT.
