Senate Leaders Akpabio Support Tinubu’s Loan Proposal for Infrastructure Drive

Senate President Godswill Akpabio, alongside another federal lawmaker, has expressed support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s plan to secure fresh loans to finance infrastructure projects, arguing that borrowing remains necessary given Nigeria’s current economic constraints.

Speaking during Senate deliberations, Akpabio acknowledged the country’s limited fiscal space, saying borrowing for capital projects could be justified if it delivers long-term value.

“In these difficult times, when we don’t really have money, it is better to borrow for projects… better to borrow for infrastructure so that at the end of the day, we’ll have something to see,” he said, adding that repayment could be structured around the economic benefits generated by such developments.

In a separate contribution, another senator urged the Committee on Local and Foreign Debts to expedite its review of the borrowing proposal, stressing the urgency of accelerating infrastructure delivery across the country.

The lawmaker also drew attention to the long-delayed Sokoto–Lagos highway project, which he noted had been on the drawing board for more than five decades but is now gradually taking shape. He said he had inspected sections of the project and expressed satisfaction with the level of progress recorded so far.

According to him, the highway is being constructed using reinforced concrete rather than conventional asphalt and will be fitted with solar-powered street lighting. He disclosed that over 45 kilometres have already been completed, with the route stretching across Kebbi, Niger, Kwara, Oyo, Ogun, and Lagos States, beginning from Ilela in Sokoto State.

He further explained that once completed, the highway would significantly cut travel time between the north-west and south-west regions, noting that journeys which currently take around 13 hours could be reduced to less than six.

Both lawmakers called for swift legislative consideration of the borrowing plan once the committee submits its report, describing the project as a potentially transformative development with wide-ranging economic benefits for several regions of the country.