Senate President Godswill Akpabio has responded to the plan by President Bola Tinubu to take a $516 million loan for the Sokoto–Badagry Superhighway, saying that borrowing is a better option for funding major projects at this time.
He spoke on Thursday at a Senate session where lawmakers talked about the request.
Akpabio maintained that the focus should be on using loans for visible and useful projects.
He said the country is facing financial challenges, and borrowing for infrastructure can still bring long-term benefits.
He said, “In these difficult times, when we don’t really have money, it is better to borrow for projects. It is better to borrow for infrastructure, so that at the end of the day, we will have something to see, and then we can pay through even the infrastructure.”
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He explained that such projects can help the country repay loans through the value they create.
He described the request as a good step and asked the Senate Committee on Local and Foreign Debts to review it quickly and return it for approval.
He also suggested that the road project could be extended towards Calabar to increase its impact.
The Senate discussion showed support for the project from other lawmakers.
Senator Adamu Aliero, who represented Kebbi Central, said the highway is already taking shape and is no longer just a plan.
He said, “This project is now a reality. I have inspected the project, and I have seen progress that has been made. I’m highly impressed with what I saw.”
Aliero gave details of what he saw on ground, noting that the road is being built with concrete instead of asphalt and includes solar-powered street lights.
He said he observed more than 45 kilometres of work already done.
He also mentioned that over 250 kilometres of the road will pass through Kebbi State and continue through Niger, Kwara, Oyo, Ogun, and Lagos States, starting from Sokoto.
Aliero stressed that the project will change travel and business across regions. He said it will cut travel time from Sokoto to Lagos by more than half.
“In less than six hours from Sokoto, you can reach Lagos, instead of spending close to about 13 hours,” he said.
He urged the Senate to approve the loan without delay once the committee submits its report, noting that the project will benefit many Nigerians across different regions.
