President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has officially commissioned Collector Road C01 and its accompanying bridge in the Institution and Research District of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Speaking during the commissioning ceremony in Abuja on Wednesday, Tinubu disclosed that the newly completed infrastructure, which directly connects prominent national and academic institutions, including the Body of Benchers, Nile University and Baze University, will significantly address the longstanding infrastructure deficits in the Institution and Research District of the FCT.
Represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima, the President stated that the project restores ease of movement and enhances security for thousands of students, lecturers and legal professionals who previously navigated severely deteriorated roads in the district.
He recalled that the intervention was prompted by an appeal made by the Body of Benchers during a recent Call to Bar ceremony, stressing that the Federal Government, recognising the urgency, bypassed bureaucratic delays to approve emergency funding for the project.
The President emphasised that the road network, complete with street lighting, walkways and a river bridge, marks another major milestone in the administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda and fulfils the government’s promise to complete all initiated projects.
“We promised that we would not allow governance to become a series of abandoned dreams and half-hearted efforts. Today, as we stand on this newly constructed Collector Road C01, we are not just looking at physical roads and buildings; we are looking at a promise kept,” the President said during the commissioning ceremony.
Beyond providing critical transport access, the President highlighted the project’s economic benefits, noting that data from the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) confirmed that the construction generated hundreds of direct and indirect jobs for Nigerian youths.
“Infrastructure is the greatest enabler of economic prosperity. When you build roads, you open up districts. When you open up districts, you attract investment. And when investment comes, Nigeria grows,” Tinubu emphasised.
He commended the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Barr. Nyesom Wike, affectionately describing him as the “Mr Project” of this generation. The President further praised Wike’s relentless work ethic and the rapid pace of project delivery currently transforming the nation’s capital. He also expressed gratitude to the FCDA engineers, contractors and labourers who worked tirelessly to deliver the infrastructure in record time.
While reiterating that the ongoing transformation of Abuja reflects the broader development agenda being implemented across Nigeria, President Tinubu urged FCT residents, as well as the management and students of Nile University, Baze University and the Body of Benchers, to protect and preserve the new infrastructure.
Speaking earlier at the event, the FCT Minister, Barr. Nyesom Wike, explained that the project aligns with President Tinubu’s directive to ensure that every district in the FCT benefits from government intervention under the Renewed Hope Agenda.
Barr. Wike recalled that the President had recently visited the same district to commission the Body of Benchers Annex, which was also constructed by the FCT Administration (FCTA). He thanked the President for his consistent support and physical presence during the ongoing commissioning of projects across the capital.
The Minister also expressed his deepest appreciation to President Tinubu for the strategic policy decision to remove the FCT Administration from the Treasury Single Account (TSA), stressing that the reform unlocked the financial resources now being used to fund and execute major infrastructure projects across the territory.
In her goodwill message, the FCT Minister of State, Dr Mariya Mahmoud, described the occasion as a significant milestone and expressed gratitude to President Tinubu, Vice President Kashim Shettima and the leadership of the National Assembly for their unwavering commitment to delivering transformative infrastructure.
Dr Mahmoud also praised the FCT Minister for his determination to transform the territory, while commending the technical teams, engineers and contractors whose dedication and commitment to excellence brought the project to completion.
Providing the technical details of the project, the Executive Secretary of the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA), Engr. Richard Yunana Dauda, explained that the 1.5-kilometre Collector Road C01, including a 60-metre, three-span bridge, was constructed to link the Body of Benchers with the Nile University area, providing a critical alternative route and improving connectivity.