Tinubu flags off 700km Akwanga–Maiduguri superhighway project
New highway aims to cut logistics costs and ease regional trade
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has flagged off construction on the 700-kilometre Akwanga–Bauchi–Gombe–Biu–Maiduguri Superhighway, a road project the Federal Government says will deepen economic ties between the North-Central and North-East regions of the country.
The ceremony marked the commencement of Section I of the road, covering the 125-kilometre stretch between Akwanga, Kaduna, and Jos.
The wider superhighway will run through several additional sections once complete. The Jos–Bauchi axis will span 135 kilometres, followed by the Bauchi–Gombe section at 162 kilometres, Gombe–Biu at 125 kilometres, and the final Biu–Maiduguri leg at 188 kilometres. Taken together, the sections form a continuous corridor linking key states across northern Nigeria.
Government officials framed the project as central to improving road safety, easing the movement of goods and people, and opening up trade routes between regions that have historically faced connectivity challenges.
Officials also argued that projects of this scale tend to lower logistics costs for businesses, draw private investment into underserved corridors, and generate employment during both construction and long-term maintenance phases.
Beyond the Akwanga–Maiduguri corridor, the Federal Government used the event to provide updates on other major highway projects currently underway.
These include the Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway, the Sokoto–Badagry Superhighway, and the Trans-Sahara Trade Route, all of which form part of a broader push to expand Nigeria’s road infrastructure network and strengthen regional and cross-border trade.
Analysts tracking Nigeria’s infrastructure spending say the success of such projects will depend on sustained funding and timely execution, given the history of delays that have affected similar federal road schemes in the past.
For now, the flag-off signals the government’s intent to prioritise the corridor as part of its broader economic integration agenda linking Nigeria’s northern regions.
