By PHILIP YATAI

President Bola Tinubu says the era of abandoned projects is over, stressing that his administration will complete every project it started.

Tinubu, represented by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, stated this in Abuja on Tuesday, while inaugurating the two main carriageways of the Outer Southern Expressway, from Ring Road I Junction to Ring Road II Junction.

He promised that every project initiated or inherited by his administration would be completed.

“We don’t start projects to abandon them. The era of uncompleted projects in Nigeria is fading away. We finish what we start, and even finish the ones we did not start,” he said.

“When we took over, we promised hard work, renewed hope that is tangible; hope that you can see; hope that you can feel; and hope that you can drive on.

“What we are doing here today goes far beyond laying asphalt or mixing concrete: we are paving the way for a brighter future.

“Let us think about the thousands of commuters who will no longer be trapped in gridlock. Think about the fuel saved, the man-hours gained, and the seamless connection this creates across the capital city,” he said.

He described infrastructure as the very “artery of economic growth”, stressing that the “era of uncompleted projects in Nigeria is fading away. We finish what we start.

“If you want to unlock the potential of a city, if you want to create jobs, if you want to make life easier for the market woman, the corporate worker, and the industrialist—you build roads,” he said.

The President said his administration inherited OSEX which is being developed in phases.

“Right here in June 2024, we commissioned the first stage from the Villa Roundabout all the way to the Ring Road IJunction, complete with its interchanges.

“By last year, 2025, we stood here again to open up the 15-kilometre left-hand service carriageway.

“Today, we are taking the next logical, massive step forward. We are commissioning the main carriageway of OSEX, stretching aggressively from the Ring Road I Junction through to the Ring Road II Junction,” Tinubu said.

He attributed the structural transformation being witnessed in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to a focused, visionary, and dynamic leadership.

He said that his administration is expanding Abuja’s economic footprints by opening up new areas for development and lowering the cost of doing business for national development.

He commended the FCT Minister, Mr Nyesom Wike and his team, for their commitment and dogged determination in reshaping the territory for long-term prosperity.

“Minister Wike, you have shown that public service is about performance, not excuses. You have kept the contractors on their toes, and you have kept our vision alive.

“This is the spirit of the Renewed Hope agenda—delivering quality results for the Nigerian people, on time. I thank you.”

Tinubu reassured Nigerians, his administration’s commitment to infrastructure development across the country, adding that his government would continue to build, reform, and invest in the future of the people.

Earlier, Wike explained that the FCT Administration awarded the project in October 2025 and commended the contractor for delivering the project within agreed timeline.

He said that the road corridor currently housed the Apo Mechanic Village, which would soon be relocated to decongest it.

He disclosed that 80 per cent of the completed projects in FCT were initiated by previous administrations, describing continuity in governance as “a critical attribute of good leadership”.

The minister commended Tinubu for keeping his promises to FCT residents, when he insisted that all inherited projects and new ones must be completed.

“Today we are happy that this project has been completed,” he said.

In her remarks, the Minister of State for FCT, Dr Mariya Mahmoud, described the OSEX project as a significant milestone in the ongoing transformation of the nation’s capital.

Mahmoud commended Tinubu for his unwavering commitment to infrastructure development, noting that strategic investments in roads, bridges and other critical projects were translating government policies into tangible benefits for citizens.

“The newly commissioned road is expected to enhance mobility between key districts of the capital city, support urban expansion and strengthen Abuja’s transportation network as part of the broader modernisation agenda of the FCT Administration,” she said. (NAN)

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