CHIGOZIE AMADI
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the immediate rollout of the National Construction and Household Support Programme that would strengthen the economy by creating opportunities in the real sectors of agriculture, manufacturing, and construction.
The NCHSP, which was announced last week by the Speacial Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Ajuri Ngelale, would prioritise the construction of the Sokoto-Badagry Highway, which would traverse Sokoto, Kebbi, Niger, Kwara, Oyo, Ogun, and Lagos States.
According to Ngelale, the Sokoto-Badagry Road project is specially prioritised for its importance as some of the states it would traverse are strategic to the agricultural sustainability of the nation.
He said that within the Sokoto-Badagry Highway corridor, there are 216 agricultural communities, 58 large and medium dams spread across six states, seven Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZs), 156 local government areas, 39 commercial cities and towns, and over 1 million hectares of arable land.
Tinubu said: “While emphasising the urgency of boosting food production, the President noted that the Sokoto-Badagry Highway is a pivotal project as the states within this axis form the food belt of the nation, and with Badagry being an important artery for food export.”
