By Abimbola Ogunnaike
The Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola (SAN), has assured that the Kano-Kaduna Road project will be completed and inaugurated by President Muhammadu Buhari before he leaves office on Monday, 29 May, 2023.
Fashola, however said work on the section one of the project, covering Kaduna-Abuja, would continue even after Buhari’s administration as there won’t be interference in its funding.
The Minister made this known in Zaria, Kaduna State on Monday, 17 April, 2023 when he led the Federal Government delegation on an inspection tour of the section II and III road.
“We have promised to deliver this project before the end of this administration and by the grace of God we will do that.
“Section II (Kaduna-Zaria), which is 73 kilometres, will be completed before this weekend as assured by the contractor, while section III (Zaria-Kano) will be completed next month,” Fashola said.
Asked what the fate of the Kaduna-Abuja section would be after Buhari’s tenure, the Minister said the Kaduna-Abuja section was being funded by the Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA) and will continue irrespective of who is the president.
The Minister also enumerated a number of challenges hindering the Abuja-Kaduna section to include insecurity, right of way issues and relocation of electricity utilities and public facilities.
Earlier, the Chief of Staff to the President, Professor Ibrahim Gambari, who was with the Minister during the inspection, said the road project was the third of Buhari’s legacy project.