By Taiwo Scholastica
Former Senate Leader and Senator representing Borno South, Ali Ndume, has commended President Bola Tinubu and the Minister of Works, David Umahi, for commencing the reconstruction and dualization of the 125-kilometer Gombe–Biu highway.
The ₦1.245 trillion project was officially flagged off on Thursday at Liji in Gombe State.
The event was attended by Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, Umahi, and the Managing Director of Hitech Construction Company, Danny Abboud.
In a statement issued in Abuja on Saturday, Ndume described the project as a fulfillment of the Tinubu administration’s commitment to rehabilitating critical road infrastructure in the North-East.
He recalled repeatedly drawing attention to the poor state of the road over the years because of its strategic importance to economic activities, security operations, and regional integration.
According to him, he first raised concerns about the highway in 2019 during an engagement with former Works Minister Babatunde Fashola.
He said he also advocated for the road’s inclusion in federal infrastructure priorities during discussions with the Ministry of Works in 2021.
Ndume further revealed that a letter he wrote to Umahi on February 11, 2026, highlighting the exclusion of the Biu–Damboa–Maiduguri corridor from the administration’s legacy projects, contributed to renewed attention for the route.
He noted that the Federal Executive Council later approved the Gombe–Biu road under the federal tax credit and infrastructure intervention framework.
He said the rehabilitation and dualization of the highway would boost economic activities, improve connectivity, and strengthen regional integration across the North-East.
While appreciating Tinubu for approving the project, Ndume appealed for its extension to Maiduguri, Monguno, Ngala, and Yola to enhance trade, border connectivity, and security operations in the region.