Kayode Akinmade: Tinubu strategy: How nationwide highway programme could reshape Nigeria’s economy, strengthen security

The Sokoto-Badagry Superhighway is another key component of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's infrastructure strategy. The 430-kilometre highway connects the northern Nigerian city of Sokoto with the coastal town of Badagry, traversing several states in the north-western and south-western geopolitical zones. The government describes this route as a crucial corridor for facilitating commerce and mobility across Nigeria's northern regions.

By linking Sokoto, a major university and agricultural hub, with Badagry, an important coastal gateway with a deepwater port, the highway aims to reduce travel time and improve the movement of goods between northern and southern Nigeria. This connectivity could enhance trade between agricultural producers in the north and markets in the south, stimulating economic activity along the route.

The project's implementation has been progressing through multiple phases, with construction milestones reported by the Federal Ministry of Works. Completion and full functionality of the highway, however, may take time, depending on engineering challenges, environmental considerations and the integration of the route with existing transportation networks.

As with the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, the success of the Sokoto-Badagry Superhighway will hinge on careful planning, effective management and the balance between infrastructure development and environmental preservation.