Former Senate Leader and Senator representing Borno South, Ali Ndume, has commended President Bola Tinubu and the Minister of Works, David Umahi, for initiating the Gombe Biu Road Project, a N1.245 trillion reconstruction and dualisation of the 125-kilometre Gombe–Biu highway. The project was flagged off on Thursday at Liji in Gombe State.
The Biu Road Project is part of the Federal Government’s infrastructure renewal programme aimed at improving road connectivity across Nigeria, particularly in the North-East region. The project flag-off ceremony was attended by Gombe State Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, Minister of Works David Umahi, and representatives of Hi-Tech Construction Company.
The highway is considered a strategic corridor linking Gombe and Borno States and serving as a critical route for economic activities, security operations, and regional integration.
In a statement issued in Abuja, Ndume described the Gombe Biu Road Project as a long-awaited intervention that reflects the Tinubu administration’s commitment to addressing critical infrastructure deficits.
He recalled raising concerns over the condition of the road across successive administrations, noting its importance to economic integration and national security in the North-East.
Ndume said: “In 2019, during a high-level engagement with the then Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, which I initiated, I expressed concerns regarding the deplorable condition of the Biu–Gombe Road…”
He further explained that he consistently advocated for the inclusion of the corridor in federal infrastructure priorities, including presentations made in 2021 during discussions on national financing frameworks.
According to him, follow-up engagements with the current Minister of Works, David Umahi, contributed to the eventual approval of the Gombe Biu Road Project under the Federal Executive Council (FEC). He noted that the project is being financed through a tax credit and infrastructure intervention arrangement linked to Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) tax liabilities.
Ndume stated that the Gombe Biu Road Project will improve mobility, enhance economic activities, and strengthen security across the North-East, describing it as a key route connecting Nigeria to neighbouring West African countries.
He said: “It is heart warming to note that my interaction with the present Minister of Works, Dave Umahi in a letter dated February 11, 2026… finally paid off as the FEC eventually approved the Biu–Gombe Road project.” He also commended President Tinubu for approving the initiative, describing it as responsive to the needs of the region.
The Gombe Biu Road Project is expected to boost trade, reduce travel difficulties, and support security operations in the North-East, where poor road infrastructure has been identified as a contributing factor to insecurity. Ndume also urged the Federal Government to extend the project beyond Biu to Maiduguri, Monguno, Ngala, and Yola, arguing that such expansion would further strengthen regional trade and cross-border connectivity.
