The Senate has taken decisive action to salvage the abandoned Anyigba–Dekina–Shintaku Road in Kogi East, urging the Federal Government to urgently re-award the project and prioritize it under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Infrastructure Fund.
The call followed a motion sponsored by Senator Isah Jibrin (Kogi East), who described the road as a vital artery linking Kogi’s eastern communities to Lokoja, Abuja, and the Southeast and South-South regions. He noted with concern that a journey that once took 40 minutes in the 1980s now stretches into a grueling four-hour ordeal due to potholes and severe erosion.
Senator Jibrin lamented the road’s current state, which has stifled trade, frustrated commuters, and hindered regional economic integration. He reminded the chamber that the Federal Executive Council had approved the road’s reconstruction in January 2022, awarding the contract to Tech Engineering Company Nigeria Limited. However, the award was later revoked due to non-performance and has yet to be re-awarded.
Highlighting innovative ways to fast-track the project, Jibrin recommended funding through Sukuk bonds and other special-purpose financing instruments, alongside installing tollgates on both ends to support ongoing maintenance. He also proposed reviving the Lokoja–Shintaku waterway, which runs parallel to the road, as a complementary transport and commerce corridor.
Backing the motion, Senator Mohammed Tahir Monguno (Borno North) described the intervention as a “national imperative,” while Senator Abba Moro (Benue South) called attention to other neglected road projects needing similar focus.
The Senate unanimously resolved to urge the Federal Ministry of Works to re-award and expedite the reconstruction of the Anyigba–Dekina–Shintaku Road, finance the project through special-purpose funding, include it in the 2026 Appropriation Bill, and incorporate tolling and waterway facilities to ensure long-term sustainability.
Senate Chief Whip and Deputy Chairman of the Appropriation Committee also proposed the project’s inclusion under the Renewed Hope Infrastructure Fund, a motion receiving support across party lines.
In his remarks, Senate President Godswill Akpabio praised Senator Jibrin’s dedication, calling his intervention “an example of genuine representation and service.”
“This is how lawmakers should serve—by identifying real problems and pursuing real solutions. Senator Jibrin has shown what true representation means,” Akpabio said.
With this resolution, the Senate has laid a foundation for one of Kogi State’s most strategic yet long-neglected roads to finally receive federal attention, bringing hope to thousands of commuters and businesses relying on the route.
