Tinubu names Abuja road after late renowned novelist, Chinua Achebe
President Bola Tinubu has renamed the M18 road in the Guzape district of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) as Chinua Achebe Expressway.
Olusegun Dada, the president’s special assistant on social media, announced that Tinubu inaugurated the expressway on Saturday before naming it after the late renowned novelist. “President Bola Ahmed Tinubu Commissions the M18 road infrastructure in Guzape District of Abuja. Names road after Nigerian Novelist and Poet, late Professor Chinua Achebe,” he wrote.
Chinua Achebe, who passed away in 2013 at the age of 83, was a celebrated Nigerian novelist, poet, and critic, often regarded as one of the fathers of modern African literature.
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mr. Nyesom Wike, highlighted Guzape as one of the largest and fastest-developing districts in the FCT during the inauguration of Guzape Lot II Engineering.
The project, originally awarded in 2003 for N14 billion during the Olusegun Obasanjo administration, was divided into two lots. Lot I was awarded to Dantata and Sawoe, while Lot II went to Gilmor Engineering. The contract was revised to over N18 billion in May 2023.
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Wike noted that Dantata and Sawoe had abandoned the site for a long time until the Tinubu administration mobilized them back to work. He added that he had inspected the project over 15 times to ensure timely completion despite litigations by some residents opposing rock blasting for road construction. Work at the Guzape Diplomatic Zone is also nearing completion.
Dr. Mariya Mahoud, FCT Minister of State, praised President Tinubu for his support in providing infrastructure to Guzape and other FCT districts, which she said would significantly enhance the quality of life for Abuja residents.
Mr. Shehu Ahmad, Executive Secretary of the Federal Capital Development Authority, detailed that Guzape District spans approximately 1,070 hectares. Lot I, executed by Dantata and Sawoe, covers 450 hectares, while Lot II, successfully completed by Gilmor Engineering, covers 620 hectares. The scope of work included electrical power supply, a mini sewage treatment plant, transformers, and street lighting poles.
“The district is meant to provide services to about 1,017 plots of various uses, including residential and commercial areas as well as parks and recreation. Lot II covers 561 plots and includes a 31.3 kilometers network of roads out of the 73 kilometers in the entire district,” Ahmad said.
On Tuesday, Tinubu also named the inaugurated arterial road N20, from the northern parkway to the outer northern expressway (ONEX), after Wole Soyinka, the first African to win the Nobel Prize for literature. Additionally, FCT Minister Nyesom Wike recently named Abuja’s southern parkway after Tinubu, highlighting its importance as one of the city’s major spines.
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