Residents and stakeholders in Lere Local Government Area (LGA) of Kaduna state have said the ongoing 17-kilometre road project being executed by the administration of Governor Uba Sani has drastically reduced travel time on a once difficult route, bringing relief to commuters and rural communities.
The stakeholders made the observation during an inspection of the project alongside government officials and community leaders.
They also visited the newly constructed Government Junior Secondary School, Udammi, and a hospital under construction in Kaku-Kasa community.
Chairman of Lere LGA, Alhaji Jafaru Ahmed, described the road project as a major intervention that has eased transportation challenges and improved access to communities.
According to him, motorists and residents previously spent more than two hours navigating a two-kilometre stretch because of the poor condition of the road.
He said the ongoing construction had significantly reduced travel time and was already improving the movement of people, goods and services across the area.
Ahmed commended Governor Uba Sani for initiating the project and expressed optimism that it would be completed and inaugurated soon, considering the pace and quality of work on site.
He also appreciated the state government for extending infrastructure development to Lere Local Government and pledged the continued support of the people for the administration’s development programmes.
Speaking during the inspection, the Commissioner for Environment and Natural Resources, Alhaji Abubakar Buba, said the visit was organised to assess the quality and progress of the road project.
He disclosed that the 17-kilometre road had attained more than 85 per cent completion, expressing satisfaction with the standard of work executed by the contractor.
Buba described the project as the first asphalt road of its length in the Kayarda axis of Lere Local Government, noting that it would improve transportation, stimulate economic activities and enhance the living conditions of residents.
He further revealed that the Uba Sani administration is currently executing about 150 road projects covering approximately 1,355 kilometres across the 23 local government areas of Kaduna State.
According to him, no local government has been left out of the government’s infrastructure development programme.
The commissioner also inspected a two-storey secondary school under construction in Kaku community, saying the facility, which has more than 12 classrooms, would address the educational needs of communities that had waited for such a project for over two decades.
He also visited a hospital under construction in Kaku-Kasa community, describing both projects as evidence of the government’s commitment to improving access to quality education and healthcare in rural areas.
Buba commended Governor Uba Sani for responding to the infrastructural needs of the people and reaffirmed the stakeholders’ support for the administration’s development agenda.
Also speaking, the Executive Secretary of the Kaduna State Scholarship and Loans Board, Prof. Yahaya Sale Ibrahim, said the road project had been widely embraced because of its historical significance and socio-economic benefits.
He explained that the road was an ancient route popularly known as the Trans-Sahara route through which slaves were transported several decades ago, adding that its reconstruction represents the restoration of an important historical corridor.
Ibrahim added that the new secondary school would expand access to quality education for underserved communities while promoting unity and development in the area.
Community members also expressed appreciation to Governor Uba Sani for prioritizing the development of the area through the execution of the road, school and healthcare projects, saying the interventions would have a lasting impact on their livelihoods.
