2027: Atiku Promises to Rehabilitate Nigeria’s Failed Roads, Drainage Systems

 

By Abel Chigozie 

Former Vice President and 2027 African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has pledged to make the rehabilitation and maintenance of Nigeria’s critical transport corridors a national economic priority if elected president.

Atiku made the commitment in a detailed response to a message from a Nigerian, identified as Hassan, who had highlighted the impact of Nigeria’s deteriorating road infrastructure on farmers, businesses, transporters and ordinary citizens.

According to Atiku, the condition of Nigeria’s roads has far-reaching consequences for the economy, particularly because the cost of transporting goods is eventually transferred to consumers through higher prices.

He said his personal experience as a farmer had given him a deeper understanding of the challenges facing farmers and businesses that depend on efficient transportation.

> “Transport infrastructure is not merely about concrete and asphalt. It determines whether produce gets to market before it spoils, whether a businessman makes a profit or a loss, how much it costs to move food and raw materials, and how safely people can travel,” Atiku said.

The former vice president argued that every economy depends on the efficient movement of people, goods and services, stressing that poor transportation networks increase costs and undermine economic activity.

He also criticised what he described as the neglect of existing infrastructure while governments announce new projects.

Atiku said that, under his administration, critical economic corridors would be identified based on the volume of agricultural produce, manufactured goods, raw materials and passengers they carry.

He said investment would initially be directed towards roads whose rehabilitation could reduce travel time, lower transportation costs and stimulate economic activity.

> “Build where necessary, rehabilitate where urgent, maintain what we have, and invest where Nigerians will feel the difference most,” he said.

Atiku further linked poor road infrastructure and drainage systems to flooding and the destruction of homes and livelihoods.

He referenced the case of a former public servant in Calabar whose retirement home, according to him, collapsed following flooding worsened by a dilapidated road and blocked drainage channels.

He used the incident to argue that government must prioritise the maintenance of existing infrastructure alongside the construction of new projects.

The ADC presidential candidate also outlined a broader infrastructure vision focused on connecting farms with markets, factories with consumers and communities with economic opportunities.

He said government spending on infrastructure should be measured by its impact on Nigerians’ ability to produce, move goods, earn income and improve their standard of living.

Atiku also addressed the issue of ethnic and religious divisions, calling for a national approach to solving Nigeria’s challenges.

> “I do not want a Nigeria reduced to Fulani versus Yoruba, North versus South, Muslim versus Christian, or one tribe against another,” he said.

He argued that issues such as food prices, unemployment, transportation and access to economic opportunities affect Nigerians across ethnic and religious lines.

“Our problems are Nigerian problems. Our solutions must be Nigerian solutions,” Atiku added.

The statement concluded with Atiku assuring Hassan that Nigerians should continue to communicate their concerns directly to political leaders, saying leadership should not become so distant that citizens cannot communicate the challenges they face.