Rural Road Upgrade In FCT To Tackle Food Gaps – Wike

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mr. Nyesom Wike, has highlighted that the ongoing road construction projects in the rural communities of the nation’s capital will play a crucial role in enhancing food security.

Speaking in Abuja on Saturday during an inspection of various infrastructure developments ahead of the planned inauguration marking President Bola Tinubu’s second anniversary in office, Wike expressed optimism about the impact of these projects.

Among the developments he reviewed were the completed Market and Palace Road in Gwagwalada, the finished 15-kilometre stretch from A2 to Pai, and the ongoing work on the 15.4-kilometre Pai to Gumani road in Kwali Area Council.

The minister also toured the dualisation efforts on the Ushafa to Military Checkpoint and War College Roads in Bwari Area Council.

Wike, impressed by the extensive fertile land between Pai and Gumani, emphasized that improving access roads in these rural areas would significantly boost agricultural activities, ultimately strengthening food security for the region over time.

“When we inaugurated the road project, where we stopped was from A2 to Pai, which has been completed, and then Pai to Gumani which is ongoing.

“But we never saw the expanse of the road because there was no road to drive on. Thank God we were able to go there today, and you can see the vast land.

“We should not be talking about food insecurity in Nigeria – look at the land; look at the water that could be used for irrigation.

“It’s just leadership and I belief with the leadership we have today under Tinubu, you will see what is going to happen in those areas,” he said.

He noted that agricultural activities in rural areas have been limited largely due to poor access roads, which has hindered the effective utilization of the available fertile land.

However, he expressed optimism that the current road construction projects in these communities would open up more opportunities for mechanized farming, enabling greater use of the land for productive agriculture.

Africa Today News, New York