News Investigators/ Kebbi has completed 25 major projects, has seven ongoing and has awarded 13 new contracts, the Commissioner for Information and Culture, Yakubu Ahmed-BK, has said.
Mr Ahmed-BK made this known at a press briefing in Birnin Kebbi on Sunday, saying the scorecard covered roads, office accommodation, transport facilities, drainage, bridges and other public works.
He said the briefing was to review the infrastructure record of Gov. Nasir Idris’ administration as it approaches its third year in office.
The commissioner said the projects were a down payment on the administration’s campaign promises and a response to years of infrastructure deficit across the state.
He said roads and other critical infrastructure were central to unlocking the state’s economic potential, easing access to services, moving agricultural produce, attracting investment and speeding up security and emergency response.
Mr Ahmed-BK said the state’s road network had suffered decades of neglect, leaving residents with poor connectivity and decaying facilities, and recalled that Idris promised during electioneering to reverse the trend.
He said the rehabilitation and construction works had cut travel difficulties and opened up communities to greater economic activity.
“The projects are there for the people to verify,” the commissioner said.
He listed among the newly awarded projects the rehabilitation of the Birnin Lafiya-Gulma-Natsini Road and the construction of access roads and drainage facilities behind Azbir Arena.
Ahmed-BK said the Birnin Lafiya-Gulma-Natsini Road, spanning 32.7 kilometres in Argungu Local Government Area, was awarded with a 12-month completion period.
He cited the new central motor park in Birnin Kebbi as proof that infrastructure could pay for itself, describing the old facility as an eyesore that had embarrassed residents and visitors for years.
The commissioner said a modern motor park was more than a civic showpiece, calling it a strategic gateway for internally generated revenue and commercial activity.
He said the creation of the Kebbi State Transportation Authority (KSTA), the procurement of buses and the new motor park had together reshaped the state’s transport sector, with gains in jobs and service delivery.
Ahmed-BK said infrastructure spending mattered especially in a state that leans on agriculture and is expanding in solid minerals.
The commissioner argued that sustained investment in roads and drainage would move farm produce, lift trade and draw investors.
He urged residents to back the continuation of the administration’s development agenda, saying a second term for Idris would allow the government to consolidate its gains.
“Gov. Nasir Idris has demonstrated the capacity to lead, the commitment to address challenges and the courage to deliver results,” he said.
The commissioner expressed confidence that sustained infrastructure investment would accelerate growth, raise productivity and improve living standards in Kebbi.
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