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Federal Government Guarantees Completion of All Ongoing Road Projects with New N6.2 Trillion Funding
The Nigerian Federal Government has committed to ensuring that all current road projects will be completed, regardless of whether they were inherited from previous administrations or are newly initiated.
This assurance was provided by the Minister of Budget and National Planning, Senator Atiku Bagudu, during an interactive session held over the weekend in Abuja. The session was with the Senate Committee on Appropriations, led by Senator Solomon Ademola (APC Ogun West).
At the meeting, Bagudu discussed the National Assembly’s recent approval of a supplementary appropriation of N6.2 trillion for the 2024 budget, a request made by President Bola Tinubu.
This supplementary funding aims to address ongoing infrastructural needs and ensure that none of the road projects will be left unfinished.
Addressing concerns from committee members about the status of various deplorable roads and incomplete projects in their constituencies, Bagudu assured them that the Federal Government remains committed to completing all ongoing roadworks.
He emphasized that the government is not prioritizing innovative projects at the expense of existing road projects. Instead, he reassured that the Federal Executive Council (FEC) will continue to review and approve financial resources for road projects as funds become available.
While Bagudu did not provide a detailed breakdown of the supplementary appropriation, he did offer a sectoral overview. This includes the allocation of N3.2 trillion to the Renewed Hope Infrastructure Projects and an additional N3 trillion increase in the recurrent budget component.
Bagudu acknowledged that previous under-investment in infrastructure had been a significant issue, impacting the country’s development. He praised President Tinubu for his decisive action to address this deficit by securing funding for major projects such as the Lagos-Calabar coastal highway, the Sokoto-Badagry highway, and the Trans-Sahara highway.
These projects are expected to boost economic activities and enhance the nation’s revenue, leading to substantial economic transformation and improvements in the country’s infrastructure.
Senator Solomon Adeola, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, expressed confidence in the government’s ability to finance the 2024 budget.
He requested that the minister provide a detailed breakdown of the N6.2 trillion approval to the committee as soon as possible to ensure transparency and effective oversight.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has paid tribute to late Nigerian actor Olu Jacobs, recalling his contributions to the creative industry and his impact on Nigeria’s cultural identity.
In his tribute, Tinubu described Jacobs as a giant of the Nigerian creative industry and said “He was a giant of the Nigerian creative industry. His passing is a great loss to Nigeria, the African film industry and the global community of lovers of the performing arts. His remarkable body of work will continue to speak to generations yet unborn.
“The nation recognises the enormous contributions of Nigeria’s creative practitioners to the country’s cultural identity, global image and economic development. Olu Jacobs played a big role in creating this identity.”
Human rights lawyer and activist Deji Adeyanju has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to declare a state of emergency over the proliferation of counterfeit and substandard drugs and consumer products in Nigeria.
Adeyanju also called for the removal of the Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Professor Mojisola Adeyeye, as well as the heads of other regulatory agencies, including the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON).
“Nigerians are being exposed to dangerous products daily, from fake and substandard medicines to unsafe consumer goods, with reports of drugs being sold wholesale in the open under the hot sun. No responsible government should expose its citizens to such risks and expect mortality rates not to rise.”
Adeyanju also called out NAFDAC over what he described as failures in regulating the circulation of counterfeit and substandard products in the country.
It can be noted that various counterfeit products continue to circulate in Nigerian markets, while NAFDAC has also reported seizures and destruction of counterfeit, expired and substandard products.
Lagosians have lamented heavy traffic caused by ongoing construction work at Kara Bridge along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.
The Federal Government announced that repairs on the damaged expansion joints at Kara Bridge would begin on September 8, 2026. The project, initially scheduled to begin in August, was delayed to allow further traffic management planning due to concerns over its impact on motorists.
Since work began, traffic around the Kara area has become heavy, with Lagosians sharing updates on social media about spending two hours or more on the road.
Some commuters say the delays have made their 9-to-5 routines difficult, with several hours spent travelling to and from work.
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