By Stanley Onyekwere
President Bola Tinubu has declared that his administration is aggressively building road infrastructure to establish the physical foundation required for a knowledge-driven economy, stressing that education, justice, and innovation need reliable roads to thrive.
The President stated this in Abuja on Tuesday during the flag-off ceremony for the construction of Collector Road CO1 in the Institutional Research District, spanning from Nile University to Ring Road III.
Represented by the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, the President noted that the project features the dualization of the corridor from the Baze University roundabout to Nile University.
“From the Southern Parkway to the Institutional and Research District, we are laying the physical foundation for a knowledge-driven economy.
“Today, we provide those roads that are needed to bring justice, education, and innovation to our people.
“To the university community, this road is more than a route; it is a connection between learning, law, and the future of our capital,” the president said.
He highlighted that the Institutional Research District was designed as the intellectual heart of Abuja, where universities, law chambers, research centers, and innovation hubs are rapidly expanding.
“However, he maintained that “ideas cannot move if roads do not move to connect hearts and people together.”
He also used the platform to heavily commend FCT Minister Nyesom Wike for turning the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) into a highly efficient delivery agency.
He said: “You took over a capital with many stalled projects and turned the FCTA into a delivery agency.
“You have revived sleeping roads, built new interchanges, and brought development to satellite towns.”
Earlier in his remarks, Wike explained that the project was fast-tracked following a direct plea from the Body of Benchers to ease traffic and human movement in the zone.
Providing technical details earlier, the acting Executive Secretary of the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA), Mr. Richard Dauda, explained that the Institutional Research District is located in Phase III of the city’s master plan.
He stated that the current phase of the intervention spans six kilometers and represents a massive step forward in fully opening up the academic and governance district.
