Tinubu launches N137 billion Borno road rehabilitation to revive trade and security

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu flagged off a N137 billion rehabilitation of the Bama‑Banki and Dikwa‑Gamboru‑Ngala roads in Nigeria’s Borno State. Vice‑President Kashim Shettima represented the president at the ceremony. The two 49‑km corridors, which link Borno to the Cameroon border, are intended to restore a trans‑Saharan trade route, boost agricultural markets, attract investment and strengthen security operations in a region still recovering from insurgency.

The projects were first awarded in 2021 at about N55 billion; revised valuations now place the Bama‑Banki Road at N70 billion and the Dikwa‑Gamboru‑Ngala Road at N67 billion. They are being executed by the Dangote Group under the Federal Government’s Roads Infrastructure Tax Credit Scheme, which covers more than 1,000 km of roads nationwide valued at roughly N3 trillion. Concrete‑pavement technology will be used, with bridges, drainage, traffic‑safety facilities and road furniture included.

Governor Babagana Zulum welcomed the intervention, describing the roads as critical to post‑insurgency recovery. Vice‑President Shettima warned that “bad roads are also a security risk. A corridor that is difficult for citizens to travel is equally difficult for security personnel to patrol and protect,” adding that “promises acquire meaning when citizens can drive on the roads, move their goods, reach their families and live with greater security.”