The Federal Government has thrown down the gauntlet on Nigeria’s historical infrastructure neglect, as the Sokoto- Badagry Superhighway charges toward completion.
During a decisive inspection of the 162.3-kilometer Section III, Minister of Works Engr. David Umahi did not mince words, directly linking the nation’s current road crisis to the failures of previous administrations.
“If past administrations had built this kind of road, we would not be talking about roads by now,” Umahi declared, standing on the newly laid stretches of the Lagos-Ogun-Oyo corridor.
His critique highlights a sharp departure from the status quo, positioning the current administration’s “Renewed Hope Agenda” as the definitive solution to the decades of substandard engineering and abandoned projects.
The Minister expressed high satisfaction with the Hitech Construction Company, noting that the project’s pace and quality are finally setting the “world-class” standard Nigerians have long been denied.
The Minister’s remarks come as a direct rebuttal to opposition groups and critics. Dismissing claims that Lagos‒Calabar Coastal Highway is responsible for local flooding, Umahi slammed these narratives as baseless.
He pointed the finger at precision
engineering and robust drainage systems already in place, shifting the blame for environmental issues back onto poor local waste management practices.
For the Ministry, the message is clear: the era of excuses is over, and the era of execution has begun. The scale of the project is staggering.
Spanning 1,068 kilometers, the Sokoto‒Badagry Superhighway is being fast- tracked as a strategic economic weapon.
Minister of State for Works, Bello Muhammad Goronyo, emphasized that the highway will function as a highspeed trade link, connecting Nigeria to the Republics of Benin and Niger and effectively turning the region into a seamless economic zone.
Backing this aggressive infrastructure drive, legislative leaders Hon. Akin Alabi and Senator Allwell Onyesoh reaffirmed their commitment to ensuring these legacy projects remain funded and focused.
With approximately 25 kilometers of the right carriageway and 9.5 kilometers of the left already finished, the engineering team is defying difficult terrain to stay within the 26-month delivery window. The superhighway is also set to deliver more than just a commute.
Plans are already in motion to integrate solar-powered street lighting and multi -purpose dams along key sections, transforming the road into a lifeline for security and community development
across seven states.
While the Sokoto-Badagry project sets the gold standard, the Minister proved his intolerance for mediocrity elsewhere, immediately summoning contractors for the Sango Ota – Idiroko Road to account for their slow progress.
In the new landscape of Nigerian infrastructure, the mandate is simple: deliver excellence or step aside.