President Bola Tinubu has sanctioned the immediate implementation of the National Construction and Household Support Programme, covering all geo-political zones in Nigeria.
A statement released emphasized that the initiative aims to enhance agricultural productivity, bolster the economy by creating opportunities in agriculture, manufacturing, and construction, and provide urgent economic relief for Nigerians.
The programme prioritizes the construction of the Sokoto-Badagry Highway, which will traverse Kebbi, Niger, Kwara, Oyo, Ogun, and Lagos. Other key infrastructure projects include the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway and the Trans-Saharan Highway, connecting Enugu, Abakaliki, Ogoja, Benue, Kogi, Nasarawa, and Abuja.
Additionally, President Tinubu has approved full counterpart financing for the Port Harcourt-Maiduguri Railway, passing through Rivers, Abia, Enugu, Benue, Nasarawa, Plateau, Bauchi, Gombe, Yobe, and Borno, as well as the Ibadan-Abuja segment of the Lagos-Kano Standard-Gauge Railway, covering Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Kwara, Niger, Abuja, Kaduna, and Kano.
Chief Ajuri Ngelale, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, highlighted the strategic importance of the Sokoto-Badagry road project, noting that it will benefit numerous agricultural communities and key economic zones along its route.
Within the Sokoto-Badagry Highway corridor, there are 216 agricultural communities, 58 large and medium dams across six states, seven Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZs), 156 local government areas, 39 commercial cities and towns, and over one million hectares of arable land.
The programme also includes a one-off allocation of N10 billion to states and the Federal Capital Territory for bus procurement and the CNG uplift programme. Furthermore, it provides a N50,000 uplift grant to 100,000 families per state for three months, support for labor unions and civil society organizations, and the deployment of N155 billion for purchasing and distributing assorted foodstuffs nationwide.
At the recent National Economic Council (NEC) meeting in Abuja, President Tinubu urged state governors to collaborate to meet citizens’ needs, reaffirming his commitment to providing necessary support to alleviate hardship.
Highlighting the urgency of boosting food production, the President underscored the pivotal role of the Sokoto-Badagry Highway, noting that the states along this axis form Nigeria’s food belt, with Badagry serving as a crucial artery for food export.
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