Tinubu Flags Off Tungan Madaki To Zuba Access Road
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Monday performed the official flag-off for the construction of the Access Road from Tungan Madaki to the Abuja-Kaduna Expressway by Zuba, saying that the new road will connect rural productivity to urban opportunity and ease the burden of residents who have for years contended with poor access, and high cost of transportation.
Describing the road as a direct continuation of the Bill Clinton Drive to Tungan Madaki road which was commissioned weeks ago as one of the many projects executed by the FCT Administration to mark the third anniversary of the Renewed Hope Administration, President Tinubu who was represented by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt Hon. Tajudeen Abass said: “What began as one road is now growing into a network, and that is how real development takes root”.
The President noted that Tungan Madaki, Zuba and other communities along the corridor were home to farmers, traders and students who, “deserve the same dignity of access as those in the city center”.
He linked the project to his administration’s broader economic and security agenda, saying, “When farmlands are opened, food becomes cheaper in our markets. When communities are connected, young people have more reason to build enterprises at home. When response time for security agencies improves, our people are safer. Infrastructure is not just concrete and asphalt. It is the bridge between potential and prosperity, and that is the core of the Renewed Hope Agenda”.
President Tinubu described the road as strategic to the FCT Master Plan, adding that it will decongest the city center, create alternatives for commuters, and strengthen the economic corridor between Abuja, Kaduna and the North West. The President also said the project will signal to investors that the axis is open for housing, schools, health facilities and industries.
Commending the Minister of the FCT, Barrister Nyesom Wike, and the FCT Administration, the President said: “From major highways to community access roads like this one, we are seeing a return to planning, a rejection of abandoned projects, and a focus on results that citizens can feel. When I gave the charge to transform the FCT, the instruction was simple: deliver tangible outcomes that improve daily life. The work we have seen in the FCT so far speaks for itself”.
President Tinubu charged the contractors to deliver quality work on time and to engage local labor, while urging residents of Tungan Madaki, Zuba and adjoining communities to cooperate and protect the road. He affirmed that the flag-off is part of a larger plan to ensure no community is left behind in national development.
Speaking in his capacity as the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt Hon Abass lauded the FCT Minister’s leadership in the FCT, saying, “the FCT has never seen a better leader, a better administration and I have no reason to exaggerate that. Everyone who comes to Abuja, and who compares Abuja of today, and Abuja of yesterday will see the clear difference that our Minister is really a working Minister”.
In his address at the occasion, FCT Minister, Barr Wike, revealed that initially, the Tungan Madaki to Abuja-Kaduna segment was not among projects slated to be flagged off to mark Mr. President’s third year in office. He however attributed its inclusion to the astute leadership of the new Gwagwalada Area Council Chairman, Mohammed Kassim, whom, he said, requested on behalf of his people that the road be extended beyond the Tungan Madaki community, to Zuba, along the Abuja-Kaduna highway.
Reacting to Mr Kassim’s request, Barr Wike said “…this is what they call leadership. This is the first time he is elected as council chairman, because he believes in the Tinubu Administration. Today he has gotten something for his people. That is leadership. Knowing what to do at the right time to attract government attention to his community”.
Barr Wike further stated that the flagging off ceremony was in tandem with the directive of President Bola Tinubu who mandated that all satellite towns should be linked up to the city, and to one another, announcing that what was being done was in fulfilment of that promise.
“So, what we are doing today is to fulfill that promise that Mr. President has made, that during his time, all satellite towns, all Area Councils will have the attention of his government”, the Minister stated.
He also appreciated the Tungan Madaki community for their selflessness and partnership with the government having chosen development over pecuniary benefits. He directed the contractor, CCECC, to ensure that the newly flagged off road be ready for commissioning by December so that it could serve as a ‘Christmas gift’ for the people of Tunga Madaki, Zuba, and other communities on the route.
Speaking earlier, the Minister of State, FCT, Dr Mariya Mahmoud had said that the flag off of the Tungan Madaki to Zuba Road reinforces the FCT Administration’s commitment to inclusive development as the road will connect communities and expand opportunities. She described the road as a pathway to safer movement, faster connectivity, greater economic activity, and a better quality of life for residents and visitors alike.
Appreciating President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, whose renewed hope agenda, she said, continues to inspire the delivery of critical infrastructure that improves the lives of the people, Dr Mariya also thanked the FCT Minister Barr Wike, for his bold and result-oriented leadership, adding that his unwavering determination has translated vision into reality; opening new corridors of growth and making the FCT more accessible and more economically vibrant.
Presenting the technical overview of the project, Acting Executive Secretary, FCDA, Engr Richard Yunana Dauda, stated that after the successful completion of the 7km access road bypassing the Airport 2nd runway from Bill Clinton Drive to Tungan Madaki settlement, with a 4-span bridge, it became expedient to further extend the road by another 7km to connect Tungan Madaki to the Abuja-Lokoja Road at Zuba.
Engr Dauda disclosed that the newly flagged off road will link several communities such as Tungan Wakili, Anguwan Lasheri, Tungan Jiwa, Tungan Nasara, Tungan Samu, Amawa and Jima. He said that apart from providing an alternative route to those coming to the Airport from Zuba, Kaduna and Kogi State, the road will also open up the agricultural hinterland, create employment, reduce travel time, and enhance security in the area.
