The Making of the Sokoto-Badagry Super Highway

Added: 2026-05-31

[00:00:01]The making of the Sooto Badagri Super Highway, 1,068 kilm, a testament of progress. Volume 2, June 2025 to May 2026.

[00:00:17]47 years ago, the then president of Nigeria, Shahu Shagari, dreamt of a highway stretching from Badagri to Sooto.

[00:00:28]For decades that vision remained only a dream spoken about, imagined but never realized.

[00:00:38]You know, I have spoken on the inaugural speech uh on the first day of October and laid stress on our desire and our result to work for African unity and for the liberation of all the African countries which are still under the yoke of racism and imperialism.

[00:01:08]until the coming of one man. The audacity of a man of courage. Ba Ahmed Tinubu.

[00:01:18]Today that dream is no longer just an idea on paper. The Sooto Badagri Super Highway is becoming a reality.

[00:01:28]Transforming connectivity, trade and national integration across Nigeria.

[00:01:37]Don't be afraid.

[00:01:40]We will do this road.

[00:01:45]>> Every country has a road that tells its story.

[00:01:51]In Nigeria, that road is now being built.

[00:01:57]From the northern border town of Elila to the shoreline of Badagri, the Sooto Badagri Super Highway is more than an engineering project.

[00:02:11]It is a national reorientation, a deliberate attempt to draw the country closer to itself through one continuous modern route, 1,68 kilm.

[00:02:27]across SKoto, KBI, Niger, Quara, Ou and Lagos. Across farms, rivers, markets, industries, communities, border towns, and coastlines. This road asks a simple question. What would happen if the distance between Nigeria's people began to shrink?

[00:02:56]This work project when completed would go a long way in improving the social, economic and political well-being of many communities living not only in the northern northwest but the entire northern Nigeria.

[00:03:16]>> If produce could move faster. If traders could reach further. If security could respond quicker, if the north, the center, and the southwest could begin to move as one connected economic system.

[00:03:34]Today, that question is no longer hidden in policy papers or drawings.

[00:03:42]It is taking shape in cleared land, in field teams, in active machinery, in concrete works, in sections that can be seen, measured, and followed. What was once a line on a map is now becoming a physical connection between Nigeria's inland strength and its coastal future.

[00:04:08]Major infrastructure does not emerge by chance.

[00:04:13]It requires clarity of vision at the highest level. Under President Ba Amed Ginubu, connectivity has become a national priority.

[00:04:26]Nigeria expect that you will serve with integrity, dignity and deliver. I will hold you to that standard. We all promise Nigerians.

[00:04:38]>> The administration has placed rural infrastructure at the center of economic growth, food security, national integration and regional trade. The Sooto Badagri route reflects that philosophy.

[00:04:55]It is not simply a road. It is a statement that Nigeria's internal arteries deserve the same attention as its ports, airports, and borders. The president's directive did not only authorize construction.

[00:05:12]It raised the standard.

[00:05:15]Build a road that last. Build a road that performs.

[00:05:21]Build a road that can elevate every community it touches.

[00:05:27]For a project of this scale, funding is not a background issue. It is the force that turns national ambition into visible delivery. The continued financing of the Sooto Badagri Superhigh Highway shows a clear decision at the highest level of government that infrastructure must be treated as an engine of productivity, not just a public expense.

[00:05:58]This is where leadership becomes visible. Not only in what is announced, but in what is sustained, in the mobilization of equipment, in the workers on site, in the sections already advancing, and in a national project moving from commitment into construction.

[00:06:23]The translation of this vision into engineering has been led by the Ministry of Works.

[00:06:32]Senator David Omahi, Minister of Works, brings to the project both political leadership and civil engineering knowledge. Under his supervision, the rigid pavement design, durability, structural longevity and value for money have shaped the technical direction of the highway.

[00:06:56]>> I want to assure you that before the end of 2026, your 120 kilome* 2 will be totally completed by it.

[00:07:09]And like the director said even before we came here to you know adjust technically the final level you've already started it and if you look at our back you see the high level that high-tech is you know adopting and we pleaded with you that we don't want to you know uh bury the project. Uh we know it's quite challenging in terms of uh the unit rate but we continue to manage with you. After all you've been a very progressive uh you know partner in our nation building. So want to thank you.

[00:07:40]What I have directed is that for water sake we have to review the the site. uh I have directed that the median which is 6 m you know should uh you know be reduced and then we put you know new jersey in it and also the the height of the project is now you know increased uh you know is been adjusted through the reduced levels and then the benchmarks and this will help and again they have to reduce the stone base you know and then increase you know the stabilization of the earth you know and that will be most durable contribution by the federal government and innovative financing to ensure that from start to finish this infrastructure project will be fully you take governance of the state highway where impossible empower them work with them so they ensure the road that pass through their state is completed >> fellow Muhammad Gorono Minister of State for Works has also played an important role in connecting the work of the ministry to the realities of the states and communities along the route. We are you know having a lot of value for money and you are passionate about this job. You are passionate about Mr. President. You are passionate about the renewed hope agenda. We thank you so very much God Almighty >> together their stewardship brings policy engineering field supervision and delivery discipline into one structure at this scale the role of the ministry of works is not only administrative it is technical it is supervisory it is continuous the ministry carries the responsibility of keeping the project aligned with its engineering standards, its delivery targets and its wider national purpose. And this is where public accountability becomes essential. The public must be able to see what has started, what has advanced, what has been awarded, what remains, and where the full project is headed. The challenges are all over the world. You can see the chaos all around you. But be focused like a man driving in the tunnel. Don't see the sky. Don't look up. Face your direction. Be committed to the value and principle of result that will affect you, your neighbor and the entire nation. On the Sooto Badagi Super Highway, the road begins to take physical form through cleared alignments, graded embankments, compacted layers, steel reinforcement, drainage works and fresh concrete. The Sooto section covers 120 km of two carriageways.

[00:10:59]It is about 60% complete. For the public that matters. It turns a national promise into a measurable reality.

[00:11:10]The evidence is on the ground. Formation works. Concrete pavement. Drainage activity. field supervision and a northern gateway steadily moving towards completion. This is where the story changes from waiting for roads to appear to watching a national route take shape.

[00:11:36]As the highway enters Kebby state, it meets a different challenge, water.

[00:11:43]Kebby is known for rich agricultural basins, seasonal flooding and soft ground conditions. To build here, engineers must manage soil stability, moisture, drainage, and the long-term pavement strength. Culverts, channels, embankments, and stabilized layers are not secondary details. They are what allows the road to survive. The Kebby section carries one of the largest awarded portions of the project. 258 km of two carriageways of which about 40% has already been achieved.

[00:12:31]Uh let me first and foremost thank almighty god for sparing our life out this moment to witness this very important occasion.

[00:12:44]Honorable minister, we are happy and uh the way the high-tech is going on with this work.

[00:13:00]We are extremely happy >> for Kebby. The importance of this road is not only technical, it is economic.

[00:13:12]This is an agricultural state and better movement can change the value of what the farmers produce.

[00:13:22]The root can reduce delays, improve market access, connect farming communities to storage and processing and move produce more efficiently towards larger centers of demand. Along the route, the federal government has also identified dams that can support allyear farming, irrigation, economic activity and power generation.

[00:13:52]Dams will be provided for irrigation purposes along the corridor. I understand railway line will also be constructed just like what Mr. Brandon promised that there will be a coastal railroad between Lagos to Calama. Equally, we want a rail line to be constructed from Lagos to Elena.

[00:14:22]Reports around the project have referred to about 67 dams planned along the wider development corridor. This gives the highway a deeper role. It is not only a road for moving food after harvest. It supports the wider conditions that can make agriculture more productive before harvest begins. With irrigation, farming becomes less dependent on rainfall. With power, storage and processing become more practical. With better roads, produce reaches markets faster. And with reliable access, rural economies can grow beyond local limits. In Kebi, the scale expands to 258 km of two carriageways with around 40% already achieved. This is the record the public can follow. work under construction, sections awarded, portions still ahead, and a national completion goal that keeps the project in view.

[00:15:40]Building a highway of this scale requires uncommon capacity.

[00:15:47]Nigeria's landscape changes dramatically across the route. Dry northern terrain, agricultural basins, flood planes, soft soils, border settlements, coastal humidity, long distances where logistics can be as demanding as construction itself.

[00:16:13]High-tech construction was selected because this project requires more than ordinary road building. It requires large scale concrete pavement expertise, complex drainage works, bridge construction, material testing, heavy equipment, precise logistics, and the ability to operate across multiple locations at once. In some sections, even the supply of materials becomes its own operation. Key materials have been trucked from Zanfara across nearly 300 kilometers before reaching the work sites. Each movement requires planning, fuel, timing, equipment coordination, route awareness and security support.

[00:17:12]This makes the achievement on site more significant. The final stretch reaches Badagri. A town with centuries of history and a future that now extends far beyond its borders. In Badagri, the coastal section covers 82 kilometers of two carriageways and work is also ongoing.

[00:17:40]It is necessary to invest in infrastructure to sustain the growth and bring economic prosperity to our people.

[00:17:57]This is 162.35 kilometer of uh section 3 of the famous Sukoto Padag uh superighway.

[00:18:10]uh that was dreamt of and attempted by the Shagari administration should have long 7 years back and nothing was done about it but it was a dream hanging uh until president Bali okay and has to you know bring it to reality as we speak uh 258 kilome is ongoing that's uh session two in so to kibi and uh you know that project has advanced very very tremendously. Uh it tech is always working ahead of time you know like here the I've seen a report that percentage completion is.15%.

[00:18:53]By time elapse is 049%.

[00:18:56]Unlike other contractors many of our contractors 90% of them we always have time you know elapse you know far far higher than the percentage completion.

[00:19:06]So I commend them very very highly.

[00:19:08]>> Here the superighway connects Nigeria directly towards West Africa's western route. Trucks carrying goods from Sooto, KBI, Niger and beyond can move toward an Echowas gateway. But Dagri becomes more than a coastal town. It becomes a continental hinge.

[00:19:34]This stretch is important because it is where the northern route reaches Lagos, the Bennet Republic border and the wider Lagos Abishan trade access through Badagri. The road does not simply stop. It opens outward. Connects Nijier Republic connects Bener Republic.

[00:20:00]connects Abigan Lagos route connects coastal trade connects the Atlantic economy. The federal government has proposed a 3.5 kilometer tunnel link through the Snake Island and Agoguru Island access designed to connect the Sooto Badagri Super Highway to the Lagos Calaba coastal highway. When delivered, this would create a major infrastructure junction. This is why Badagri is not an end point. It is a gateway into a much larger transport network. The Sooto Badagri Superhighway is guided by three strategic principles.

[00:20:48]economic activation, security presence, national integration. Economically, it links northern agriculture, central resources, and southern industry into one stronger route. It allows goods to move faster. It improves access to markets. It reduces delays.

[00:21:14]It strengthens border trade. And it gives Nigeria a stronger position within West Africa's commercial network. This is how a road becomes more than a road.

[00:21:29]It becomes a channel for commerce, a structure for productivity, a route for regional power.

[00:21:38]Security is just as important. A modern highway improves visibility.

[00:21:45]It shortens response times. It gives security agencies stronger access across areas that were once difficult to reach across a route that passes through multiple states and different security realities. Coordinated protection is essential. Workers must be protected.

[00:22:09]Equipment must be protected. Materials must be protected, communities must be protected, and future road users must feel safe. This is where the national security structure, including the office of the national security advisor, becomes important. Security support gives the project the stability it needs to continue through sensitive areas. And when complete, the highway can become a security asset in itself, reducing isolation, improving access, and strengthening the presence of the state along the route.

[00:22:57]The story of this road includes thousands of people whose names may never appear in newspapers.

[00:23:07]Surveyors in the heat of the north.

[00:23:11]Machine operators working across unstable ground.

[00:23:16]Local youth trained to join construction teams. Engineers testing every slab.

[00:23:25]Truck drivers moving materials across hundreds of kilometers. Security teams protecting workers and machinery.

[00:23:36]Local suppliers providing food, fuel, water, spare parts, accommodation and daily services. This is a national project because it is being built by the nation itself. Even before completion, the project is already creating economic activity, jobs, contracts, transport demand, material supply, technical training, local services, subcontracting.

[00:24:11]And once the road is complete, that activity can expand into a second economy.

[00:24:18]fuel stations, agro processing centers, warehouses, mechanic clusters, markets, logistic parks, border trade, roadside businesses. The road will not only carry movement, it will create new reasons for people to work, trade, invest, and build along it. This is the human value of infrastructure. No major project is without challenges. Funding must remain stable to ensure continuity, precision, and timely delivery. The consistent support and funding commitment of Mr. President continues to play a critical role in driving the success of this transformative project.

[00:25:13]In Nigeria, the Sooto Badagi road that embark upon is 1,000 kilometers of road that is going to link Benet Republic and all the way to Ghana by the time we finish when I am back on the road I call Bua call Dangote your cement producers I'm not going to import men I'm going to use the concrete road and that's what I did when you see this road today they are all concrete I didn't have to import bitmen >> the dedication and commitment demonstrated by the ministry of works have also remained instrumental throughout the implementation of the process special recognition goes to the high-tech construction company for their high level of precision during ing the engineering implementation and for being a partner in development of the country.

[00:26:18]Sooto section is around 60% complete.

[00:26:22]KBY section is around 40% achieved.

[00:26:26]Padagi section is ongoing.

[00:26:29]Oil your section has been awarded. Niger and Quir sections remain the next critical links. The goal is the full completion of the 1,068 km of the Sugoto Badagri Super Highway by 2027.

[00:26:48]This is the honest state of the project.

[00:26:52]As we reflect on the journey so far, we are reminded of the unwavering commitment, tireless efforts and visionary leadership of his excellency, President Ba Ahmed Tinubu.

[00:27:07]Your dedication to the progress of our great nation Nigeria is a beacon of hope for millions. Your leadership has shown us that with courage, conviction, and compassion, we can overcome even the most daunting challenges. You are a true champion of unity and the guardian of our collective future. We salute you, Mr. President, and look forward to a brighter tomorrow under your audacious and courageous leadership.

[00:27:41]God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.