Author: GANUX

President of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, has publicly hailed President Bola Tinubu’s administration for its “visionary leadership” in infrastructure development and flood control initiatives.

In an open letter, Dangote expressed appreciation for the President’s efforts, particularly highlighting the transformative Bar Beach Land Reclamation project (Eko Atlantic City) and the ongoing nationwide superhighway constructions.

Dangote’s commendation, tagged, “Open Letter To President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR: Appreciation”, was shared by the Special Adviser to President Tinubu on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, via his X handle on Wednesday.

In his open letter, Dangote drew a parallel between the success of the Eko Atlantic City project and the recent flash flooding incident in Kerr County, Texas, USA, which claimed over 100 lives.

He praised Tinubu’s “foresightedness” in initiating the Eko Atlantic City, a modern city spanning 1,000 hectares and protected by an 8.5-kilometre-long sea wall, which has effectively shielded Victoria Island from coastal erosion and provided new land for development.

“Your Excellency, this success story, which is now being used for residential, business, and recreational purposes, is amongst your many legacies, and those of us who live in Victoria Island are much better off for it,” Dangote wrote, applauding the President’s “exemplary intervention in ending the era of ocean surge and in continuous tackling the issue of perennial flooding affecting areas such as Ahmadu Bello Way, Akin Adesola Street, Bishop Oluwole Street, Amodu Ojikutu Street, Adetokunbo Ademola Street and Karimu Kotun Street, among others.”

Beyond flood control, the Africa’s richest man commended Tinubu for kickstarting major infrastructure projects, including the Lagos-Calabar coastal highway and the Sokoto-Badagry superhighway.

He particularly noted the latter’s significance as a “resurrection of a 48-year-old project,” both of which are being handled by the “first-rate construction and civil engineering firm in Hitech Construction Company Limited.”

Dangote further highlighted the resemblance of Nigeria’s land reclamation efforts to similar successful projects in Zeeland, Netherlands, where submerged land was transformed into usable dry land, primarily for agriculture and settlement.

This, he stated, “is a testament to the Dutch ingenuity and perseverance in managing water resources and creating a habitable landscape in a challenging environment. The same ethos resonates in the Bar Beach project, for which I salute you!”

In a gesture of corporate social responsibility, Dangote Industries Limited also extended condolences to the families affected by the Texas flooding incident.

The letter concluded with an announcement that the Aliko Dangote Foundation would soon “be announcing plans of contributing to a Climate Fund that will target those vulnerable parts of our country which are susceptible to this natural disaster.”

Reacting to the commendation, Onanuga noted that Dangote’s position offered “an honest assessment of Tinubu’s leadership, contrasts sharply with opposition claims that the president has achieved nothing in the past two years.”

Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, has defended his administration’s plan over the ongoing flyover projects in Warri and Effurun.

The governor, in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Sir Festus Ahon, was reacting to criticisms by former Ethiope West Local Government Chairman and All Progressives Congress chieftain, Chief Wilson Omene.

The APC chieftain had, in a recent interview, described the ongoing flyover projects in Warri and Effurun as “ill-informed and misleading.”

Defending the project, Oborevwori said the flyover and road expansion projects were strategic interventions aimed at decongesting traffic in Warri and Effurun.

Oborevwori said, “The flyovers, road expansions and sleepway interchange are not cosmetic.

They are long-term investments in urban mobility, ease of doing business, and economic growth.

“These are gateway cities connecting the ports, industries, and the hinterland. The projects are unlocking commercial potential and creating an enabling environment for further private-sector participation. Perhaps, Chief Wilson Omene may have to check the meaning of enabling business environment,” the statement read.

The governor argued that the Warri-Effurun corridor served a fast-growing population and played a pivotal role in Delta’s economy, stating that only those out of tune with modern urban planning would fail to grasp the significance of the projects.

Responding to Omene’s claim that such funds should have been channelled into building industries in Delta Central, the governor labelled the argument as narrow-minded and sectional.

“Delta State is bigger than any single senatorial district. The M.O.R.E agenda—Meaningful Development, Opportunities for All, Realistic Reforms, and Enhanced Peace and Security—is being implemented equitably across Delta North, Delta Central, and Delta South. No part of the state has been left behind,” the statement read.

On the governor’s defection to the APC, Ahon said the decision followed wide consultations with political leaders and stakeholders across Delta and was geared towards attracting federal support and deepening development.

“Governor Oborevwori’s alignment with the APC was not for personal benefit but to synergise with the Federal Government in delivering more dividends of democracy to Deltans.

“Chief Wilson Omene is merely acting out a script written by those who view the governor’s move as a threat to their political interests,” the statement added.

Ahon urged Omene and other critics to embrace constructive engagement rooted in facts, rather than divisive commentary and reaffirmed the administration’s commitment to inclusive growth and lasting infrastructure.

“Constructive criticism is welcome, but it must be rooted in facts and guided by a sincere desire to move Delta State forward,” he concluded.