Niger State, known for its significant sacrifices in land for the establishment of Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory (FCT), is battling with prolonged infrastructure and power issues, former Senator Shehu Sani highlighted recently on social media.
Despite the generous allocation of land that facilitated the creation of the FCT, the region’s infrastructure has lagged considerably.
According to Sani, the crucial road linking Minna to Abuja has been under reconstruction for nearly two decades, causing major disruptions and inconvenience to both commuters and local residents.
Further adding to the state’s woes are the power supply challenges. Despite housing five hydro power stations that generate electricity sufficient to supply several other states, Niger State itself suffers from persistent power outages, leaving the population in what the former senator describes as “near complete darkness.”
In a poignant example of the infrastructural neglect, Sani pointed out the puzzling situation of the newly commissioned port in Baro by former President Muhammadu Buhari. The port, intended to boost economic activities and connectivity in the region, remains ironically inaccessible due to the absence of a proper access road. During the commissioning, Buhari optimistically spoke of ships arriving at the port, yet as Sani noted, “not even a canoe has arrived yet.”
