Tinubu Commissions Abuja Airport Bypass Road
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has commissioned a 7-kilometre access road linking Bill Clinton Drive to Tungan Madaki Settlement in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), describing the project as a fulfilment of government’s promise to communities that surrendered their ancestral lands for the expansion of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport.
The road, which includes a four-span bridge, was constructed to improve access for residents of Tungan Madaki and neighbouring communities while enhancing security and operational efficiency around the airport’s proposed second runway.
Represented at the commissioning ceremony on Thursday by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Tinubu said no community should be made to suffer the consequences of national development projects without benefiting from them.
He said the host communities made significant sacrifices by giving up their ancestral lands for the airport expansion project, adding that government had a responsibility to improve their living conditions.
“When it became necessary to construct the second runway of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, a project vital to our national security and economic expansion, the original inhabitants of this area surrendered their ancestral lands,” Tinubu said.
He added that the new road was not only a transport project but also an economic corridor that would reconnect previously isolated communities to the capital city’s opportunities.
According to the president, the road would serve three key purposes: protecting critical airport infrastructure, reducing congestion along Bill Clinton Drive and stimulating economic activities in Tungan Madaki and surrounding settlements.
Tinubu said the four-span bridge on the route would ensure year-round movement for residents, allowing farmers to transport produce, children to access schools and businesses to operate without disruption.
He commended the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, for delivering the project within a short period after approval.
“In February 2025, I approved this project. You mobilised immediately. Today, barely 16 months later, this beautiful stretch of road is completed and ready for use,” the president said.
Tinubu acknowledged the economic challenges facing Nigerians but defended his administration’s reforms, saying the difficult decisions taken were necessary to create a stronger economy.
“We are not building for headlines. We are building for generations to come. We will keep working day and night until every Nigerian feels the impact of good governance,” he said.
He urged residents to protect the infrastructure by avoiding encroachment on the road corridor and preventing indiscriminate dumping of waste into drainage channels.
Wike: Road Extends Development to Satellite Communities
Speaking at the event, Wike said the commissioning was part of activities marking the third anniversary of the Tinubu administration and the ongoing inauguration of completed projects across the FCT.
He described the project as evidence of the government’s commitment to extending infrastructure development beyond Abuja’s city centre to underserved satellite communities.
The minister explained that the road was part of agreements reached with the Tungan Madaki community during discussions over land acquisition for the airport’s second runway.
Wike praised the community for its cooperation, noting that residents made modest requests for employment opportunities for their youths and access roads rather than placing excessive demands on government.
He said the government had fulfilled the employment aspect of the agreement and was now delivering the road infrastructure.
The minister recalled that residents of Tungan Madaki had endured difficult conditions despite living close to the country’s major international airport.
“I never believed that we had this level of suffering of our people not having access to the city. Look at the international airport. This is their own community, but they could not easily access it,” Wike said.
He further disclosed that the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) had directed the contractor, CCECC Nigeria Limited, to extend the road from Tungan Madaki to Zuba, with completion expected before the end of the year.
According to Wike, the extension would improve connectivity between Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) and Gwagwalada Area Council while providing easier access to the airport for residents of Zuba and neighbouring communities.
The minister warned land grabbers against encroaching on the road corridor and assured residents that government would continue to protect their interests, including facilitating access to legal land titles.
The newly commissioned road is expected to improve mobility around the airport corridor, enhance security around the proposed second runway and boost socio-economic activities in Tungan Madaki, Zuba and other surrounding communities.
