Tinubu launches 125km Benin-Asaba highway as Okpebholo says Edo now becoming Lagos

President Bola Tinubu on Sunday flagged off the construction of the 125-kilometer Benin-Asaba Highway, a major infrastructure project set to be completed within 30 months.

Representing the president at the event, Edo State Governor Senator Monday Okpebholo described the road as a transformative project and highlighted Edo’s growing infrastructural development, likening it to Lagos.

Expressing gratitude to Tinubu, Okpebholo said, “The President loves Edo State so much so that whenever he sees me, he always asks me about the welfare of the Edo people and also that of the Oba of Benin. The good things happening in Lagos are now also happening here in Edo State, and we have made progress under my watch as governor.”

He further noted, “We once had a president from this region that never remembered us. Edo is a gateway to the nation, and when the roads are bad, the economy of the state suffers.”

Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, praised Okpebholo’s leadership, stating that the governor had rapidly turned the state into a construction hub within 150 days in office. He also commended Tinubu for prioritizing Edo State, noting that he had visited multiple times for project assessments.

Speaking at the event, the Minister of Finance & Coordinating Minister of the Economy Mr. Wale Edun described the project as a milestone in infrastructure financing.

“What you see on the front page of the pamphlet will be delivered—because the cash is there,” he affirmed. “This is not reliant on direct federal funding. Africa Plus Consortium, backed by credible investors, has put forward the full capital commitment under the enabling policies of President Bola Tinubu.”

Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, represented by his deputy Monday Onyeme, urged Tinubu to extend the highway project to the Onitsha Bridge, emphasizing the road’s importance in linking Nigeria’s Eastern and Western regions.

He added that the road would enhance the standard of living for residents and called for collective efforts to ensure its successful completion.