The Federal Government on Thursday outlined projects and initiatives executed in the South-South region of the country, under President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

The disclosure was made at a forum tagged “Federal Government’s South-South Milestone Under President Tinubu’s Administration” held in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.

Minister of Information and National Orientation, Alhaji Mohammed Idris, represented by Mrs. Christiana Inyang, Head of the Federal Information Centre, Uyo, said the session was to highlight specific interventions in health, infrastructure, education, and agriculture.

According to him, new cancer care facilities including radiotherapy machines and in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) units have been established at the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital (UUTH) and Mbribit Itam.

He added that the 65-kilometre Akwa Ibom section of the Lagos–Calabar Highway was a flagship project inaugurated in April by Senator David Umahi on behalf of the President.

The Minister explained that the administration was prioritising education, agriculture, and healthcare, sectors he said had suffered years of neglect.

In agriculture, Idris pointed to the cassava bio-ethanol project in Akwa Ibom, describing it as a venture intended to support food production, create jobs, and expand the agro-processing value chain.

The government, he added, also rolled out palliative measures in the state under a programme tagged “Boundless Support for Persons with Disabilities.”

Idris stressed that the Renewed Hope agenda was designed to achieve a more equitable distribution of projects across the federation.

He noted that the South-South was no longer left behind in federal planning, citing multiple ongoing initiatives as proof of policy direction.

Delivering a keynote speech at the event, Prof. Charles Obot, Head of Films and Multimedia Studies, University of Uyo, said the Presidential Loan and Grant Scheme had already reached more than 900,000 beneficiaries nationwide.

He further disclosed that over 300,000 students had benefited from the Student Loan Scheme introduced by the current administration.

Obot added that a School of Education Administration complex was built at the College of Education in Delta State, alongside equipment and furniture upgrades at the College of Education (Technical), Asaba.

He argued that the interventions in education showed government’s interest in both the “software” and “hardware” aspects of learning. (Nigerian Tribune)