By: Daure David
Senator Danjuma Goje, representing Gombe State in the Nigerian Senate, raised a significant motion today concerning the state of roads in the Northeast region of Nigeria. According to the motion, only two road projects totaling approximately 19 billion naira have been allocated to the Northeast from the 4.2 trillion naira approved for road infrastructure nationwide.
Senator Goje, in his address to the Senate, expressed concern over the minimal allocation for the region, especially given the widespread state of disrepair affecting critical road networks in the area. He emphasized that the poor condition of many roads in the Northeast is severely hampering the movement of goods, services, and people, impacting both local economies and the quality of life for residents.
“Many roads in the Northeast are in a deplorable state, and the lack of adequate intervention is exacerbating the situation. The few allocated projects are grossly inadequate to address the massive infrastructural needs of the region,” Goje stated.
The Senator went on to outline specific roads in the region that are urgently in need of rehabilitation, highlighting their importance for local connectivity and national development. He called on the federal government to take immediate action to approve the rehabilitation of these critical roads and ensure that the region is not left behind in the country’s infrastructure development plans.
In addition to the call for road rehabilitation, Senator Goje urged the government to extend the Renewhope Super Highways project, a major national infrastructure initiative, to cover the Northeast. The Renewhope Super Highways project is designed to improve transportation networks across Nigeria, and Goje stressed that it should not exclude the Northeast, a region that has long faced neglect in terms of infrastructural development.
The Senator’s motion has drawn attention to the urgent need for a balanced and equitable distribution of resources across Nigeria’s regions, particularly in the face of growing infrastructure challenges. It remains to be seen whether the government will respond to Senator Goje’s call for increased attention to the Northeast’s road network and the expansion of critical national projects like the Renewhope Super Highways.
As the debate continues in the Senate, many in the Northeast are hopeful that their cries for better infrastructure will be heard and acted upon in the coming months.
