President Bola Tinubu has named the newly commissioned Arterial Road N20 from Northern Parkway (N8/N9) to the Outer Northern Expressway, Jahi District, in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) after Nobel Laureate Prof. Wole Soyinka, in recognition of his contribution to the development of Nigeria.
Tinubu made this pronouncement on Tuesday in Abuja, during the commissioning of the road following the FCT minister Nyesom Wike’s appeal to him to name the road after Prof. Soyinka.
The president, who accepted the recommendation from the FCT minister, described Wole Soyinka as Nigeria’s foremost playwright, novelist, and Nobel Prize winner, who has put Nigeria in the pride of the international community.
“Let me say here that your momentum and recommendation to name this road as Wole Soyinka Way is well received. Thank you for thinking that way. We all accept your recommendation on behalf of the people of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“To the Honourable minister of FCT and his entire team, my presence here is to say thank you very much, for giving this government a very successful first-year landing.
“You inspired so many people and the acronym WIW – Wike Is Working – is resonating with all of us. Today, there is a great value in Abuja’s capital territory. Talking about every part of Abuja, bringing economic prosperity to people. I wonder what it would be like the value of your IGR when the real estate is the real value of Abuja.
“It has been a great floury of activities by all of us that are associated with you. The commissioning of the fill scope development at arterial road N20, from Northern Parkway to Outer Northern expressway, honestly is another testament to the actualisation of our development agenda to transform every part of this country. We will do it,” he said.
Earlier, the minister of FCT, Nyesom Wike, while delivering his address, said that one of the things President Tinubu has always done was to encourage people who have done well, and have excelled in their way.
“When you do that, you encourage other people too that tomorrow the government will also recognise them for doing well. It is not when somebody dies that we will remember his contribution.
“It is good when someone is alive, who has contributed and has made this country happy, recognise him, instead of waiting for when he dies. A dead man does not know what happens. So, I will appeal to you that let us recognise one of our own, to name this road after him who has done well.
“The only Nobel Laureate we have that has made Nigeria proud in the world. I recommend that this road should be named Wole Soyinka Way. In that case, other people will have hope, people like me will have hope that tomorrow, they will also recognise me,” Wike said.
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