Abuja — President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Thursday commissioned the Interchange at Arterial Road N16–Ring Road II Intersection linking Jahi District to Gwarimpa District in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), describing the project as a critical investment in mobility, economic growth and urban development.
Represented by Senate President Godswill Akpabio at the ceremony, Tinubu said the newly completed interchange was more than a bridge and network of slip roads, stressing that it symbolised improved freedom of movement, reduced travel time and the practical delivery of the administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
“This is not just a bridge and slip roads. This is freedom of movement. This is time returned to our people. This is Renewed Hope you can drive on,” the President said.
He noted that before the project, the intersection was notorious for severe traffic congestion, with gridlock stretching across major districts including Maitama, Gishiri, Jahi and Gwarimpa, resulting in lost productive hours, increased fuel consumption and delays to businesses and commuters.
“Today, that story ends. This interchange opens up critical districts of the Federal Capital City and connects them smoothly to the rest of the Territory. Goods will now move faster. Workers will get home earlier. Students will get to class on time. Security will improve because criminals thrive where traffic stands still,” he stated.
Tinubu reiterated that infrastructure development remains central to his administration’s economic strategy, describing roads as the arteries through which national prosperity flows.
“When we connect districts, we connect destinies. That is the logic of the Renewed Hope Agenda: build the roads, unlock the economy, and let Nigerians thrive,” he said.
The President commended residents of Jahi, Gwarimpa, Katampe and adjoining communities for their patience during the construction period and urged them to take ownership of the infrastructure while fulfilling their civic responsibilities.
“Pay your taxes and levies so that government can do even more for you. Rights come with responsibilities,” he added.
Tinubu also praised the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, for driving the transformation of Abuja through an ambitious infrastructure programme.
“You took my charge to make Abuja work and you are executing it well. From roads to bridges, from the city centre to satellite towns, you are domesticating Renewed Hope across the FCT. Nigerians can see it. Critics can see it. Residents feel it in their daily lives,” he said.
He equally commended the Minister of State for FCT, Dr. Mariya Mahmoud, and the contractor, CBC Global, for delivering the project on schedule.
Earlier, Wike said the interchange project was a testament to the principle that governance must be viewed as a continuum, regardless of which administration initiated a project.
According to him, although the contract was awarded before the Tinubu administration assumed office, no mobilisation had been made to the contractor until the current administration intervened.
“One of the problems we have had in this country is that new leaders often abandon projects started by their predecessors. President Tinubu has demonstrated that government is a continuum. What matters is completing projects for the benefit of the people,” Wike said.
The minister described the project as one many residents had doubted would ever be completed, noting that it would significantly ease movement between key districts of the capital city.
Wike also used the occasion to defend the administration’s infrastructure agenda against criticism from opposition figures, arguing that roads remain fundamental to development.
“Without roads, you cannot go to hospital. Without roads, you cannot go to school. Without roads, you cannot go to farm. Road is the bedrock of development anywhere in the world,” he said.
He highlighted other ongoing projects under the administration, including the expansion of water supply to satellite towns, announcing that a major water project in Bwari would be commissioned in July.
In her remarks, the Minister of State for FCT, Dr. Mariya Mahmoud, described the interchange as more than a traffic management facility, saying it would strengthen connectivity, facilitate commerce and improve access to opportunities across the capital territory.
“The project will significantly reduce travel time, improve access to commercial centres, facilitate the movement of people and goods, and support the growing demands of the FCT’s expanding population,” she said.
Mahmoud added that the project reflected President Tinubu’s commitment to infrastructure-led development and commended Wike for accelerating Abuja’s transformation through what she described as purposeful and result-oriented leadership.
The Jahi-Gwarimpa Interchange is one of several projects being commissioned across the Federal Capital Territory as part of activities marking the third anniversary of the Tinubu administration.
