The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, says President Bola Tinubu’s 700-kilometre legacy highway will connect states.

Mr Idris spoke on Wednesday in Lafia at the start of section one of the Akwanga–Jos-Bauchi-Gombe Super Highway. The project covers Akwanga, Jos, Bauchi, Gombe, Yobe and Maiduguri.

The minister described the highway as a bold investment that would transform Nigeria’s economy and strengthen national integration.

He said the project would create jobs, improve trade and deliver lasting prosperity for millions of Nigerians.

He added that the highway represented “Renewed Hope in action” through improved connectivity and inclusive development.

Mr Idris identified the project as one of Tinubu’s four flagship Legacy Highway Projects nationwide, including the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, the Sokoto-Badagry Super Highway, and the Trans-Saharan Route.

According to him, the projects are designed to boost commerce and unlock Nigeria’s economic potential.

The minister also highlighted reforms in education, industrialisation and the economy under Tinubu’s administration. He said initiatives such as the Nigerian Education Loan Fund had expanded access to higher education.

Mr Idris said the highway projects reflected the administration’s commitment to national unity and balanced growth.

Mr Tinubu, represented by the APC national chairman, Nentawe Yilwatda, inaugurated the project. The president described the highway as a key part of the Renewed Hope Agenda.

He said the project would transform road infrastructure and stimulate economic growth in Northern Nigeria.

The Federal Executive Council approved the project to be executed in phases, starting with the Akwanga-Jos section. The first section covers 125 kilometres across Nasarawa, Kaduna and Plateau.

Mr Tinubu said the entire corridor would stretch about 700 kilometres linking several major northern cities. He added that construction of the Akwanga-Jos carriageway had also begun as part of the project.

(NAN)