President Bola Tinubu has approved the request by the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, to name the Arterial Road N-20 in Abuja after Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka.

The Arterial Road N-20 stretched from Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Expressway to Outer Northern Expressway (Murtala Mohammed Expressway) in Abuja.

Wike made the appeal during the inauguration of the road by Tinubu to celebrate his one year in office in Abuja on Tuesday, June 4, 2024.

The minister said: “It is not when somebody dies that we will remember his contributions.

“It is good in the lifetime of someone who has contributed to the greatness of this country, to recognise him, rather than waiting for him to die.

“A dead man does not know what happens.

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“I will appeal to you sir, to let us recognise one of our own, by naming this road after him. The only Nobel Laureate we have, who has made Nigerians proud in the world.

“I recommend that this road 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.”

Tinubu, therefore, approved the minister’s request to name the road after Soyinka, whom he described as “a famous playwright, novelist, and Nobel Prize winner”.

Wike explained that the road was awarded in 2020 at N30.6 billion and had no variation, adding that he had inspected the execution of the road more than 10 times to ensure timely delivery within specifications.

He said it would be difficult for any leader to challenge Tinubu’s achievements in Abuja, considering the spade of infrastructure and administrative development in the nation’s capital in one year in office.

Wike added: “It will be difficult for anybody to challenge you in FCT. It will be very difficult.

“I said so because the facts are there; the things are there. It is not about theory; it is about reality.”

The Star