The Federal Government on Saturday launched rehabilitation of two key roads in Borno State, moves Vice President Kashim Shettima say are designed to reopen trade links, bolster agriculture and improve security in the violence‑scarred Northeast.
Vice President Shettima, representing President Bola Tinubu at the ceremony, described the work on the Bama–Banki and Dikwa–Gamboru–Ngala corridors as critical “lifelines” for commerce and recovery after years of insurgency.
“Roads are the lifeblood of our commercial engagements,” he said in a statement issued by his spokesman, Stanley Nkwocha.
“They determine whether the farmer reaches the market, the trader reaches the customer, the child reaches school, the patient reaches care, and security agencies reach communities in time.”
According to him, the two routes will ease cross‑border trade with neighbouring Chad, Cameroon and Niger and improve the mobility of security forces operating in the region. “Bad roads are also a security risk,” Shettima said.
“A corridor that is difficult for citizens to travel is equally difficult for security personnel to patrol and protect.”
Vice President Shettima singled out the Minister of state for works, Bello Goronyo, and Borno’s commissioner for works and housing, Adam Balarabe, for their roles in advancing the projects.
The government plans to rebuild the corridors with reinforced concrete pavement, upgraded bridges, drainage and safety features, and tighter project supervision to ensure durability and fiscal accountability,
Vice President Shettima said.
He praised Borno Governor Babagana Zulum and federal works officials for collaborating on the projects.
Governor Zulum in his remarks, described the interventions as part of a push to reposition Borno for business, thanking President Tinubu for what he described as the administration’s commitment to peace and development.
The Governor also expressed appreciation to the Dangote Group for recent philanthropic and support initiatives in the state.
Works Minister David Umahi said the projects were originally awarded in 2021 at a combined price of about N55 billion but now carry updated phase‑one estimates of roughly N70 billion for the Bama–Banki road and N67 billion for Dikwa–Gamboru–Ngala.
He credited state support and cast President Tinubu as determined to finish previously stalled infrastructure.
Senator Mohammed Tahir Monguno, the Senate chief whip, said the works would better link Nigeria with the trans‑Saharan corridor and help mitigate insecurity by improving movement for civilians and security forces.
Aliko Dangote, chairman of the Dangote Group, which is co‑funding elements of the projects through tax relief arrangements, said the rehabilitation would strengthen trade ties across the region.
“This is a historic occasion that boosts connectivity in West Africa,” he said, noting his group’s history of large infrastructure commitments.
During the visit, Vice President Shettima also attended two wedding fatiha ceremonies for family and associates in Maiduguri, briefly standing in for relatives at one event.
He offered prayers and well wishes to the newlyweds.
