President Bola Tinubu has flagged off the construction of the access road linking Tungan Madaki to the Abuja-Kaduna Expressway at Zuba, describing the project as part of a growing network of roads aimed at expanding connectivity, boosting economic activities and improving the lives of residents in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Represented by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, at the ceremony, Tinubu said the new road is a continuation of the recently commissioned Bill Clinton Drive–Tungan Madaki road and reflects his administration’s commitment to extending infrastructure beyond the city centre.
“What began as one road is now growing into a network, and that is how real development takes root,” the President said.
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He noted that communities such as Tungan Madaki and Zuba, which are home to farmers, traders, and students, deserve the same quality of infrastructure as residents within Abuja’s city centre.
According to Tinubu, the project will improve access to rural communities, lower transportation costs, enhance food supply, and strengthen security by improving response times for security agencies.
“When farmlands are opened, food becomes cheaper in our markets. When communities are connected, young people have more reason to build enterprises at home. When response time for security agencies improves, our people are safer. 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 said.
The President described the road as a strategic component of the FCT Master Plan, saying it would help decongest Abuja’s city centre, provide alternative routes for commuters and strengthen the economic corridor linking Abuja, Kaduna and the North-West.
He added that the project would encourage investments in housing, healthcare, education, and industrial development along the corridor.
Tinubu commended the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, and the FCT Administration for prioritising infrastructure delivery.
“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. When I gave the charge to transform the FCT, the instruction was simple: deliver tangible outcomes that improve daily life. The work we have seen in the FCT so far speaks for itself,” he said.
He urged the contractor to deliver the project on schedule, maintain quality standards and engage local workers, while calling on residents to support and safeguard the infrastructure.
Speaking at the event, FCT Minister Nyesom Wike disclosed that the road project was not originally included among those scheduled for inauguration to commemorate Tinubu’s third year in office.
He said the project was added following a request by the Chairman of Gwagwalada Area Council, Mohammed Kassim, who appealed for the extension of the road from Tungan Madaki to Zuba.
“This is what they call leadership. This is the first time he is elected as council chairman, because he believes in the Tinubu Administration. Today he has gotten something for his people. That is leadership. Knowing what to do at the right time to attract government attention to his community,” Wike said.
The minister said the project aligns with Tinubu’s directive that satellite towns should be linked to Abuja city and to one another.
“What we are doing today is to fulfil that promise that Mr President has made, that during his time, all satellite towns, all Area Councils will have the attention of his government,” he added.
Wike also commended residents of Tungan Madaki for supporting the project and directed the contractor, China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC), to complete the road by December for commissioning as a “Christmas gift” to the benefiting communities.
Earlier, the Minister of State for the FCT, Mariya Mahmoud, said the project underscores the administration’s commitment to inclusive development by expanding access, promoting economic opportunities and improving the quality of life for residents.
She praised Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda for driving infrastructure development across the territory and commended Wike’s leadership in accelerating project delivery.
Providing the technical overview, Acting Executive Secretary of the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA), Richard Yunana Dauda, said the project extends the existing seven-kilometre Bill Clinton Drive–Tungan Madaki road by another seven kilometres to connect Tungan Madaki with Zuba.
According to him, the road will serve communities including Tungan Wakili, Anguwan Lasheri, Tungan Jiwa, Tungan Nasara, Tungan Samu, Amawa, and Jima.
Dauda said the project would provide an alternative route for travellers heading to the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport from Zuba, Kaduna and Kogi State, while opening up agricultural communities, creating jobs, reducing travel time and enhancing security in the area.
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