By Philippine Duru

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The Presidency has said the gains recorded under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda will be sustained beyond the 2027 general elections, with visible infrastructure and economic development projects in Benue State cited as evidence of the administration’s impact across the country.

Senior Special Assistant to the President on Strategic Communications, Frederick Nwabufo, made the assertion on Friday during an inspection of major federal and Benue State government projects by the Presidential Media Team and the Renewed Hope Ambassadors.

Nwabufo said the inspection was designed to provide an on-the-ground assessment of government projects and counter claims by critics that the Renewed Hope Agenda had yet to translate into tangible development.

According to him, the projects inspected across Benue demonstrated that the administration’s policies and programmes were producing visible results in critical sectors, including roads, healthcare, education, water supply and industrial development.

“We are here in Benue State. This is the third day, and particularly in reference to a particular sojourner who said there are no signs of renewed hope anywhere. You journalists have been here with us. You can see the signs everywhere, on the roads, in health, in education, across all sectors; the signs are very visible,” Nwabufo said.

He stressed that the inspection was not limited to presentations or official briefings, noting that the delegation visited project sites to independently observe the level of work being executed.

“We are not just reclining in armchairs; we are on the ground inspecting these projects unscheduled, and you can see that. So, the gains of Renewed Hope will continue as Mr President is re-elected in January 2027,” he added.

Among the major projects inspected by the delegation were Sections One and Two of the Lafia Bypass and the dualisation of the Makurdi-Ninth Mile Road, a major road project expected to improve connectivity between Benue, Kogi and Enugu states.

The Federal Controller of Works in Benue State, Engr. Mukaila Danladi, explained that the entire road project covers approximately 250 kilometres and, because of its dual carriageway configuration, translates to about 500 kilometres of road construction.

He said the project had been divided into five sections to facilitate construction, with Sections One, Two and Three located in Benue State and Sections Four and Five in Enugu State.

According to him, the section currently under inspection covers 50 kilometres, which translates to 100 kilometres when both carriageways are taken into account.

“Of the 100 kilometres, we have covered about 86 kilometres up to binder course level,” Danladi said.

He attributed some delays in construction to the rainy season but explained that work on hydraulic structures and other components of the project was continuing.

Danladi also disclosed that the Minister of Works had directed a modification to the original road design, replacing surface-dressed shoulders with hard shoulders to improve durability and extend the lifespan of the road.

The Project Manager of China Harbour Engineering Company, Engr. Tijani Olalekan Babatunde, said significant progress had been recorded on both sections.

He said 56 kilometres of binder course had been completed on both sides of Section One, while 72.6 kilometres of Section Two, covering the Aliade-Otukpo axis, had reached wearing-course level.

Babatunde said the contractual completion period was 48 months, which would ordinarily place completion around February 1, 2028.

However, he said the Minister of Works had instructed contractors to increase the pace of construction, raising the possibility of completing the project earlier.

“The completion period is 48 months, so that means by 1st of February 2028. But the Honourable Minister has directed that contractors increase the pace. We may likely complete by December 2027,” he said.

The Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, who also participated in the inspection, commended the quality and progress of the road project.

Onanuga noted that although the road was still under construction, it had already significantly reduced travel time between Makurdi and Otukpo.

“Even though we have not even completed this road, it has shortened the travel time between Makurdi and Otukpo. I learnt before it used to take about three hours, but now just about one and a half hours,” he said.

He described the project as commendable and said improved road connectivity would have benefits beyond passenger transportation.

According to him, linking communities and states through better roads would facilitate the movement of agricultural produce, manufactured goods and other commodities, thereby strengthening inter-state commerce.

“I think President Tinubu deserves applause for touching almost every part of Nigeria,” Onanuga said.

He added that improved connectivity would boost both passenger and commercial traffic and make it easier for businesses to transport goods across state borders.

The delegation also inspected Taraku Mills, an industrial facility in Benue State that had reportedly remained dormant for decades.

The Chief Press Secretary to the Benue State Governor, Kula Tersoo, said the factory, established during the administration of former Governor Aper Aku at an estimated cost of N70 billion, had been moribund since the mid-1990s.

He said Governor Hyacinth Alia’s administration had taken steps to revive the facility, with the machinery undergoing test runs following extensive servicing.

“The machines are undergoing test run. They were serviced. The people of this area guided this factory jealously. No pin got missing until Father Alia came and decided to revamp the company,” Tersoo said.

The Plant Manager, Engr. James Twenge, said the facility has the potential to create thousands of direct and indirect jobs while contributing to food production and agro-processing in the state.

According to him, the mill currently has more than 2,000 direct and indirect workers and operates across three major divisions: oil processing, maize processing and animal feed production.

He said the maize plant has the capacity to process 72,000 metric tonnes annually, while the feed mill can process 172,300 metric tonnes per annum.

The oil division, he added, has a mechanical press line with a capacity of 200 metric tonnes per day and a solvent extraction plant capable of processing 320 metric tonnes per day.

“Within the next two months, we will have products coming out,” Twenge said.

Tersoo attributed the ongoing revival partly to improved economic conditions and federal government reforms, arguing that increased economic activity and government support were creating an environment for states to implement capital-intensive projects.

“Where is that money coming from? If the economy is not improved, you wouldn’t have gotten that money. We appreciate Mr President for making Nigeria work again and for giving the governor the support to fulfil his promises,” he said.

The inspection team also visited the 52-kilometre Oju-Awaji Road, a Benue State government project linking three local government areas.

The Director-General of the Bureau of Special Projects, Engr. Gabriel Akpen, said the road had not received comprehensive reconstruction since it was initially constructed in 1982 and had deteriorated significantly over the years.

He said the state government had commenced rehabilitation and reconstruction, with 19 kilometres already completed and asphalted.

“We started from there. Several kilometres ahead, the work has been completed. We have completed 19 kilometres with asphalt. In the next six or seven months, the entire stretch will be completed,” Akpen said.

Chairmen of the Konshisha and Gwer East Local Government Areas told the delegation that the ongoing reconstruction had already improved economic activities along the route.

They said farmers, traders, transport operators and other residents were benefiting from improved access, while commuters were experiencing shorter travel times and safer journeys.

The delegation’s tour also covered the Otobi Waterworks, another major state government intervention aimed at improving access to potable water.

The Director of Urban Water Supply, Juliet Maka, said the waterworks was originally constructed in 2012 but was subsequently abandoned for several years.

She said the facility was rehabilitated in September 2023 under the Alia administration and had since returned to full operation.

According to Maka, the system has a capacity of 10,000 cubic metres of water per day and is currently operating at full capacity.

“The system here is 10,000 cubic metres per day. We are operating at full capacity. Otukpo town and the Otobi community are benefiting,” she said.

The rehabilitation of the facility is expected to strengthen water supply to communities in the area while reducing dependence on alternative and often unreliable sources of potable water.

The inspection formed part of efforts by the Presidential Media Team and supporters of the Renewed Hope Agenda to showcase ongoing federal and state government projects across the country.

The Presidency maintained that the projects demonstrate that the Tinubu administration’s economic reforms and infrastructure investments are beginning to translate into tangible improvements in transportation, industrial production, employment, water supply and economic activity.

With the 2027 elections approaching, the administration is increasingly presenting complete

d and ongoing projects as evidence of its performance and as a basis for seeking continuity beyond its first term.