Musa Na Allah, Sokoto
Citizens in Sokoto State have expressed outrage over the slow pace of work on the ongoing Illala–Badagry Super Highway project, condemning the delay as a deliberate setback to economic growth, trade, and regional integration in the Northwest.
The grievances were voiced during a town hall meeting organized by the Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation in Sokoto, aimed at sensitizing Nigerians on the mid-term performance of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.
Speaking at the event, community leaders and participants lamented that the highway, which has dragged on for years without visible progress, continues to stifle opportunities for farmers, traders, and transporters who depend on the route to move goods across the region.
The Secretary of the Sokoto State Chamber of Commerce, Mines, and Agriculture, Sani Mai Tawul, used the platform to spotlight the urgent needs of the people.
He argued that beyond unfinished infrastructure, the most pressing demand in the Northwest is the restoration of security.
According to Mai Tawul, insecurity has devastated the region’s economic base, with bandits now forcing farmers to pay illegal levies before gaining access to their farmlands.
He warned that without immediate government action, the crisis would spiral into deeper food shortages and economic collapse.
“The people of the Northwest need nothing more urgently than security from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” Mai Tawul declared.
“Farmers are eager to harvest their crops, but bandits are extorting them before they can step into their farms. This is not only unacceptable but unsustainable.”
He acknowledged that the Renewed Hope Agenda has made notable contributions through road projects, agricultural support, and intervention programs, but insisted that all of these gains remain fragile in the face of unchecked banditry and rural insecurity.
Mai Tawul stressed that government interventions would remain ineffective if villages and farming communities continue to live under siege, adding that insecurity now threatens to wipe out whatever progress has been achieved in infrastructure and agriculture.
Representing the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, the Acting Head of the Federal Information Centre in Sokoto, Abubakar Abdulkadir, outlined some of the administration’s achievements in agriculture, education, infrastructure, and social welfare.
Abdulkadir explained that the sensitization exercise was not just to showcase progress but to create a feedback loop where citizens’ concerns could be directly reported to the Federal Government for necessary intervention.
He assured participants that the Federal Government is committed to completing the Illala–Badagry Highway project, while also working to tackle the worsening security challenges plaguing Sokoto and other states in the region.
The town hall brought together traditional rulers, government officials, civil society actors, and community members, many of whom strongly voiced frustrations over both insecurity and the delays in road construction.
At the close of the meeting, citizens renewed their appeal to President Tinubu to act decisively by fast-tracking the completion of the highway and launching a bold security strategy that will safeguard farmers, revive trade, and unlock the full economic potential of the Northwest.
