By Ekuson Nw’Ogbunka
Abuja
Our Managing Editor, Ekuson Nw’Ogbunka, takes a critical look at President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s flag-off of the Southern Parkway service carriageways. For months, we have been closely tracking the commissioning and flag-off of projects delivered in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), by FCT Minister Barr. Ezenwo Nyesom Wike under Mr. President’s administration. Excerpts follow. Excerpts.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has moved to close a key gap in Abuja’s road network with the flag-off of Southern Parkway service carriageways. The project runs from Arterial Road S20, Oladipo Diya Way, to Ring Road II and targets the southern districts that bear the brunt of daily congestion.
The ceremony held in Abuja on Tuesday, June 23, 2026, was attended in proxy by APC National Chairman, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda. That representation signals the political significance attached to infrastructure as the administration enters the middle of its term.
From an urban planning perspective, the Southern Parkway is central to the Abuja Master Plan. It connects several districts along the southern axis and functions as a pressure valve for traffic flowing into and out of the city center.
The main carriageway, now named Bola Ahmed Tinubu Way, was completed and commissioned earlier. The administration is now addressing the service lanes, which were part of the original design but left out, leaving residents with limited access routes.
Tinubu framed the service lanes as essential infrastructure rather than an add-on. He pointed to Durumi, Gudu, Gaduwa and Phase Two mass housing estates where commuters lose hours to traffic. Reduced travel time, he argued, directly improves household income and business efficiency.
That messaging aligns with the Renewed Hope agenda’s focus on visible dividends. The President linked the project to democracy delivering tangible relief, a theme his team has pushed since taking office.
He also used the platform to spotlight FCT Minister Barr. Ezenwo Nyesom Wike, dubbing him Mr. Project. The President cited the Minister’s record of reviving stalled projects, setting firm targets and delivering within tight timelines.
According to Tinubu, Wike has localized the Renewed Hope vision across Abuja’s districts. The transformation, he said, is not rhetoric but something residents can see and feel in completed roads and revived sites.
Praise extended to FCT Minister of State, Dr. Mariya Mahmoud, and the FCT administration for coordination and standards. The acknowledgment reflects how infrastructure delivery now depends on inter-agency alignment within the FCTA.
On the economy, Tinubu returned to the difficult reforms his government is implementing. He described them as necessary pain for long-term prosperity and asked citizens to cooperate with contractors to avoid project delays.
A specific instruction went to China Geo-Engineering Construction, CGC Nigeria Ltd. The President charged the firm to employ local youths and train artisans, turning the road project into a skills pipeline for the community.
Earlier, FCT Minister Wike dismissed speculation that infrastructure would slow down after recent commissionings. He insisted the 2027 election season would not distract from capital development and set a transformation benchmark for May 2027.
The Minister expressed confidence in CGC and promised the FCT Administration would meet funding obligations. He then challenged the contractor to work round-the-clock and hand over the road before January 2027.
Enforcement was another major theme. Wike warned land grabbers and illegal developers along the corridor. He ordered the Acting Director of Development Control and Director of Lands to demolish all unauthorized structures immediately.
He criticized the pattern of forged land documents that emerges whenever government construction begins. His directive was unequivocal: remove illegal buildings because proper order benefits everyone.
Mrs. Nancy Sabanti Nathan, Head of the FCTA Civil Service Commission, delivered the vote of thanks. She appreciated President Tinubu’s support, the National Assembly’s oversight, and the FCT Minister’s leadership, while urging CGC to maintain strict safety protocols.
Technical details came from Acting Executive Secretary, FCDA, Engr Richard Yunana Dauda. He confirmed the project fits the Abuja Master Plan and sits within the southern development corridor, which has been developed in stages.
Dauda outlined the scope: two service carriageways, each two lanes and roughly three kilometers, two river bridges with two spans each, plus trapezoidal drains, pipe culverts, box culverts and street lighting. The design addresses both mobility and flooding risks.
CGC’s Managing Director pledged world-class execution on schedule and safely. He also noted that FCT’s infrastructure drive is contributing to Nigeria’s GDP growth, suggesting the economic impact extends beyond the capital.
In sum, the flag-off blends project delivery, political messaging and enforcement. If CGC meets the January 2027 target, the Southern Parkway service lanes could become a defining example of infrastructure under Tinubu’s Renewed Hope in the FCT.
