OHANAEZE HAILS SOUTHEAST INFRASTRUCTURE DRIVE, DEMANDS COMPLETION BEFORE 2031
ABUJA — The Global Executive Committee of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide has commended the Federal Government for what it described as a historic infrastructure renewal across the Southeast, urging the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to ensure the completion of ongoing and approved projects before 2031.
In a statement signed by the Deputy President General, Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro, and the Acting Secretary General, Prof. Chibuikeya Achoakawa, the apex Igbo sociocultural organisation said the region was experiencing an unprecedented level of federal attention towards critical highways and economic corridors.
Ohanaeze attributed the renewed infrastructure drive to President Tinubu and the supervision of the Minister of Works, Senator Dave Umahi, describing the intervention as one of the most significant federal commitments to road development in the Southeast in several decades.
The organisation recalled that the Southeast had suffered years of infrastructural neglect, delayed interventions and abandoned projects, which negatively affected commerce, transportation, security and economic development.
It noted that the current federal intervention represents a significant departure from the past and should be sustained beyond political cycles.
OBa–NNEWI–UGA–IHUBE ROAD
Ohanaeze particularly welcomed the Federal Government’s approval of the 150-kilometre Oba–Nnewi–Uga–Ihube (Okigwe Junction) Federal Road Project, describing it as a landmark intervention capable of reconnecting communities across Anambra and Imo states.
According to the organisation, sections of the Uga–Ihube axis had remained severely neglected for more than two decades, with road deterioration and insecurity making parts of the corridor increasingly difficult to access.
It said the reconstruction and dualisation of the route would help restore economic confidence, improve mobility and create fresh opportunities for communities along the corridor.
MAJOR PROJECTS ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST
Ohanaeze also identified several federal road projects which, according to the organisation, could significantly transform connectivity and economic activities across the region.
They include the 77-kilometre Enugu–Onitsha Expressway, where reconstruction is ongoing and sections have been reopened to motorists.
The organisation also highlighted the Enugu–Port Harcourt Expressway, particularly the Umuahia and Aba sections, describing the project as strategically important to trade, transportation and economic integration between the Southeast and the Niger Delta.
Also listed was the Calabar–Ebonyi–Benue–Abuja Superhighway, which Ohanaeze said would strengthen connectivity between the Southeast and North Central while opening new economic opportunities.
The 108-kilometre Otuocha–Anam–Abaji Expressway, linking Anambra and Kogi states, was similarly identified as a major expansion of the region’s transportation network.
Ohanaeze further cited the 65-kilometre Afikpo–Uturu–Okigwe Expressway, which connects Ebonyi, Abia and Imo states, as another critical corridor receiving renewed attention after decades of neglect.
The organisation also referenced the 250-kilometre Makurdi–9th Mile–Enugu Highway dualisation project, describing it as an important national corridor linking the North Central and Southeast.
‘NDIGBO WANT COMPLETION, NOT ABANDONMENT’
Ohanaeze said the major concern of Ndi Igbo is not merely the announcement of projects but their completion and delivery.
It therefore called on the Federal Government to sustain the current momentum and ensure that ongoing Renewed Hope infrastructure projects across the Southeast are completed to international standards and within realistic timelines.
The organisation stressed that abandoned projects had historically denied communities the full benefits of development.
It maintained that the people of the Southeast need functional roads, stronger economic opportunities, improved security and sustainable development rather than repeated promises without delivery.
‘LEADERSHIP SHOULD BE MEASURED BY DELIVERY’
According to Ohanaeze, infrastructure remains one of the clearest measures of effective leadership because functional roads promote trade, attract investment, improve security and strengthen national integration.
The organisation urged the Federal Government to maintain the current pace of development and ensure that the Southeast infrastructure renewal programme becomes a lasting legacy for future generations.
Ohanaeze further described the current scale of federal infrastructure attention in the Southeast as a significant milestone in the region’s post-Civil War development history.
It said history would ultimately judge governments not by speeches or political promises, but by completed projects that improve the daily lives of citizens.
The organisation therefore called for sustained commitment, accountability and timely completion of all Renewed Hope infrastructure projects across the Southeast.
The statement was signed by Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro, Deputy President General, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, and Prof. Chibuikeya Achoakawa, Acting Secretary General, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide.
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