By: Abba Onyekachukwu, Abuja.
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Barrister Nyesom Wike, has officially flagged off the construction of a 7-kilometer road project from the Bill Clinton Drive of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport to the Tunga Madaki community in Abuja. According to a press release from Rabi Musa Umar on Monday, the Assistant Director Press Office of the Minister, the project, which will bypass the Airport’s second runway, is a direct fulfillment of a promise made by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to the nine affected communities within the airport precinct that gave up their land for the construction of the second runway.
The FCT Minister emphasized that the road project embodies the essence of the Renewed Hope Agenda, demonstrating that the President Tinubu administration is a “listening government” that cares for the people and fulfills its promises. He noted that the road will bring development to nine previously underserved communities linked by the project.
The Acting Executive Secretary of the FCDA, Engr. Richard Yunana Dauda, provided an overview of the project, stating that the road was necessitated by the need to relocate several communities for the second runway and to simultaneously open up the Aerotropolis. The contract was awarded to Messrs CCECC Nigeria Ltd in February 2025, with a 12-month completion period. The road will connect Tungan Madaki and nine other communities within the airport precinct to the Bill Clinton Drive, significantly improving access and security in the area.
The road project includes, construction of a 7 kilometer asphalt-paved road, a four-span river bridge, modern drainage systems, solar street lighting, and other engineering facilities
The road is expected to significantly improve the socio-economic well-being of the residents in the area by facilitating the movement of people and agricultural produce. Furthermore, the project will create essential job opportunities for the teeming youth in the benefiting communities during the construction phase.
The Minister expressed optimism that the road will be completed and commissioned in June 2026 during the third anniversary celebration of President Tinubu’s administration. He also urged the communities to support the current AMAC Chairman, Christopher Maikalangu, who championed their cause for the road project.
The Minister of State, FCT, Dr. Mariya Mahmoud, described the initiative as the beginning of a journey that touches life, opens doors, and transforms communities in the FCT. She thanked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the FCT Minister for their commitment to the provision of vital infrastructure that will renew the hope of the people, strengthen communities, and drive development.