By Stanley Onyekwere
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has declared that the FCT infrastructure milestone represents the core essence of good governance by delivering enhanced security, improved mobility, and dignity to the residents of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Tinubu asserted this Friday when he officially commissioned the newly completed Collector Road CN2 in Katampe District, Abuja.
According to the President, who spoke through Vice President, Kashim Shettima emphasized that the project stands as a tangible manifestation of the administration’s Renewed Hope agenda.
Highlighting the immediate socio-economic impacts of the project, Vice Tinubu noted that infrastructure delivery is directly tied to public safety.
He said:”We have installed solar street lights, and today Katampe is bright at night. Abuja’s city life is coming back, and criminal hideouts are disappearing.
“This is exactly what good governance delivers: security, mobility, and dignity.”
He lauded the FCT Minister, Barrister Nyesom Wike, for his relentless drive and execution, noting that the administration does not give excuses but gives results.
While celebrating the milestone, the President reminded residents that sustaining these achievements requires active civic partnership.
He urged FCT residents to pay their taxes, clear their ground rents, and protect the newly laid infrastructure.
He said: “Do not turn walkways into marketplaces, and do not vandalize the street lights.
“If you witness any destruction, report it immediately. This road belongs to you; guard it for your children.”
Wike corroborated this impact, describing infrastructure as the fundamental backbone of development.
Wike noted that before the road was constructed, there were virtually no buildings in the immediate area.
He noted that the investment has since generated massive job creation for engineers, laborers, and administrative staff through private and public building contracts.
Wike further announced that the FCTA is aggressively expanding this development model across all area councils—including ongoing works from Mararaba to Zuba—to ensure no community is left behind.
Providing an engineering breakdown of the project, the Acting Executive Secretary of the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA), Richard Dauda, explained that the network spans approximately 3.9 kilometers. It comprises Collector Road CN2—developed into a six-lane dual carriageway with integrated parking—and Important Local Street 5 (ILS5), a four-lane crescent.
According to Dauda, the project significantly reduces travel times and dramatically improves the interconnectivity between Katampe, Mabushi, Jahi, and Maitama districts.
Crucially, the network provides vital links to Yemi Osinbajo Way and Wole Soyinka Way, feeding directly into the Outer Northern Expressway (Murtala Mohammed/Kubwa Expressway).
The FCDA boss added that the comprehensive project features extensive underlying infrastructure, including an underground stormwater drainage system, portable water pipe distribution network, foul sewer network, telecommunication ducts, integrated walkways and green verges.
The Deputy Managing Director of CGC Nigeria Ltd, Fan Xiaojing, recalled that when construction began just seven months ago, access to the area was incredibly difficult, particularly during the rainy season.
“Today, the completed corridor has triggered a wave of private investment.
”We witnessed development trailing right behind our equipment,” Fan noted, referencing a surge in active land development and commercial business positioning,” he stated.
He also highlighted that the execution of the contract prioritized hiring and training young Nigerians, providing them with critical engineering and practical skills.
Concluding the ceremony, the FCT Minister of State, Mariya Mahmoud paid tribute to the National Assembly for their steadfast legislative support and appropriation of vital resources, as well as the security agencies and community leaders whose collective cooperation brought the vision to reality.
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