The Federal Government of Nigeria has clarified that the Murtala Muhammed Expressway in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has not been renamed as Wole Soyinka Way, contrary to some reports circulating in the media.
In a statement issued by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, through his media aide Rabiu Ibrahim, it was clarified that on June 4, President Bola Tinubu inaugurated a new road in the FCT known as Arterial Road N20, which stretches from Katampe to Jahi. This new road links the existing Outer Northern Expressway (Murtala Muhammed Expressway) to the Northern Parkway (Ahmadu Bello Way).
During the inauguration of Arterial Road N20, the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, proposed to President Tinubu that this new road be named after Nobel Laureate Prof. Wole Soyinka, and the President accepted this proposal.
Therefore, it is explicitly stated that the road named after Prof. Wole Soyinka is the Arterial Road N20 and not the Murtala Muhammed Expressway. The Murtala Muhammed Expressway continues to retain its original name in honor of General Murtala Ramat Mohammed, a former Head of State of Nigeria.
The Minister emphasized that any information suggesting the renaming of the Murtala Muhammed Expressway to Wole Soyinka Way is entirely false and should be disregarded. He urged citizens to rely on accurate sources of information and avoid misinformation.
This clarification aims to correct misconceptions and ensure that the public is correctly informed about the naming of roads in the FCT.