Nigeria’s Minister of Works, David Umahi, has disclosed that the Bola Tinubu administration has completed 279 road projects, including 19 major capital projects and 260 palliative interventions, within its first year in office.
He said the achievements signal a renewed push to overhaul Nigeria’s transport infrastructure and catalyze economic growth.
Speaking at the Ministerial sectoral briefing in Abuja on Friday, Umahi acknowledged the Ministry’s progress, highlighting reforms introduced to improve project delivery.
“We’ve changed the approach to contractor mobilization. Previously, contractors hesitated to accept mobilization because the Procurement Act states that mobilization is optional.
“We now include clear terms in our contracts; if a contractor fails to mobilize within 30 days of signing, the project will be terminated.”
He noted that this new policy has reduced delays and encouraged more responsible bidding, adding that contractors must now demonstrate sufficient liquidity before being awarded certain projects.
“We are also classifying contractors to prevent mismatches in project scale and capacity,” he explained.
Umahi also announced that the President had directed that local contractors and developers be developed to grow the economy, saying, “We can’t continue to use foreign contractors to grow our economy. You go to China, you find out who is working. We have to grow our people’’.
The Minister emphasized the importance of developing local capacity, he said, “Let me also announce that Mr. President directed that we must grow the local contractors. Other countries grow their economies by using local talent, we must do the same”.
Under the new arrangement, the Minister said five engineers who are not at work would be posted to the legacy project sites to learn.
“We have a programme which we call “The New Tool Programme’’, whereby in every state we are getting five civil engineers who are not at work, and we are posting them to these four legacy projects and other legacy projects of the country so that they can learn.
“That’s why we introduced the first concrete pavement technology. It’s durable and exposes any quality deficiencies immediately, unlike asphalt, which can temporarily mask poor workmanship.”
The Minister also dismissed reports circulating on social media alleging that he and other ministers planned a trip to London. Speaking during a press briefing, he clarified:
“I have not been to London in the last two years. I have not discussed any such trips with anyone. I have too much work to do here in Nigeria.
“Let me make it clear, any foreign travel by a minister requires written approval from the President. These claims are entirely false and should be disregarded.”
He further cautioned the public against accepting social media reports as fact and urged his critics to seek clarification before making allegations.
“Even when I served as a governor, I never travelled out of the country without first obtaining the President’s permission. I operate strictly by the rule of law.”
On the ongoing projects, the Minister revealed that President Tinubu inherited 2,604 major road projects valued at ₦13 trillion when he assumed office in May 2023.
However, due to policy decisions such as the removal of fuel subsidy and the floating of the naira, the current value of these projects has surged to nearly ₦20 trillion.
“In addition to what we inherited, we initiated 65 new road projects and four transformative legacy projects. We have also completed 260 palliative road interventions valued at about ₦208 billion,” the Minister said.
He explained that the President directed the Ministry to re-prioritize and regionalize the existing projects in line with national economic corridors, which he said led to the identification of 440 high-priority projects for review, taking into account new economic realities and inflation in construction material costs.
“We have completed 19 inherited capital projects across all zones. For example, in Kano, the Yakassi Road and the 105-kilometre Hadejia Road are now in use.
“In Lagos, we have completed Section I of the Apapa-Oworonshoki-Ojota Expressway, a concrete road serving the Lagos Port, and extended the Third Mainland Bridge with CCTV coverage,” he said.
According to him, other completed projects include the 84-kilometre Lagos-Badagry Expressway, the reconstructed five-span Artisan Bridge in Enugu, the Angola Bridge, the Shendam Bridge in Plateau State, and the Jimeta Bridge in Adamawa, while cross-border infrastructure, such as the Nigeria–Cameroon Bridge, has also been delivered.
The Minister said most of the 260 palliative projects, spread across the six geopolitical zones, have been completed, and while they may appear small individually, they play vital roles in sustaining economic activity and interstate mobility.
“We’re seeing progress across all regions. For instance, in the South-South, the Lokoja–Benin Road is under construction across three segments handled by different contractors, including BUA and CCC.
“The terrain is challenging, and we have switched to reinforced concrete pavement to ensure durability,” Umahi explained.
In Edo State, the Minister said work is progressing on the Benin–Auchi Road, which had previously suffered persistent gridlocks due to poor soil conditions.
One carriageway has been completed and is now in use, while work on the second is ongoing.
Also in the region, the Minister said Section 2 of the East-West Road between Ahoada and Kaima, currently at 75 percent completion, is scheduled for commissioning in December.
In Rivers State, he said a new reinforced concrete pavement is being used to redesign the Eleme Junction, one of the most congested parts of the Port Harcourt area.
The Calabar–Itu–Ikot Ekpene Road is also being reconstructed in phases, with major progress recorded by contractors such as HITECH and REYNOLDS, he said.
In the South-West, he said the Federal Government has cleared 38.3 kilometres of the Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway, with the first 10 kilometres almost completed.
Umahi also confirmed that Section I of the Lagos–Ibadan Expressway, which was inherited by the current administration, has been completed, as well as major sections of the Seme–Badagry evacuation corridor.
The North-West, according to the Minister, has also witnessed significant activity, Umahi said, citing the Abuja–Kaduna–Zaria–Kano Road is being reconstructed in phases.
Sections 1 and 3, covering 118 kilometres, have been awarded for ₦252 billion, with solar-powered streetlights installed along the corridor, he said, adding that about five kilometres of rigid pavement are already in use.
He added that Section 2, stretching 128 kilometres, has been redesigned and awarded ₦525 billion due to the poor condition of the old route.
On the Sokoto–Zamfara–Katsina–Kaduna corridor, Umahi also noted that about 750 kilometres of roads are being handled by various contractors, including CBC, Setraco, and Mothercat, with the corridor featuring rigid pavement to improve its longevity.
The Minister said the Sokoto–Illela Road, measuring 120 kilometres, has also commenced, with a contract value of ₦482 billion.
In addition, he said the Sokoto–Badagry Superhighway, a 47-year-old concept initiated during the Shagari administration, is finally taking shape, adding that the first section, 258 kilometres in Kebbi State, has been awarded for ₦958 million, while the second section is awaiting Federal Executive Council approval.
While highlighting efforts in the North-Central and North-East. According to him, the Minister said the previously dilapidated Akwanga–Jos–Bauchi road has been redesigned and re-awarded with rigid pavement to handle heavy-duty traffic, adding that several completed bridges, including those in Shendam and Jimeta, have improved connectivity in these zones.
The administration, according to Umahi, is also pushing ahead with legacy projects, stressing that Section 1 of the Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway (7.4 kilometres with three lanes on each side) is nearing completion.
He said Section 2 of the road, which stretches 55 kilometres, has been awarded at a cost of $1.3 billion and includes multiple bridges. Already, over seven kilometres of the road have been laid.
The Ministry is also reviewing the future of Lagos’ aging Carter Bridge, with discussions ongoing about either its reconstruction or full replacement.
“We are not only building new roads but also fixing old ones and reimagining our national transport grid. As the Chinese say, ‘If you want to make a country great, build roads,’ and that is what President Tinubu is doing,” Umahi said.
On the Ilesha-Ibadan road, the Minister said the subject was presented at the Federal Executive Council, noting that the First Lady, Sen. Oluremi Tinubu, first drew his attention to the state of the road.
“Because it’s a very bad situation. It is an inherited project by KOPEC. And today, the total amount, you know, that is allocated to this project from 2003 to 2025, is only ₦17 billion.
“And this whole stretch is to, you know, if an election. And then we have another project that is stretching from Ilesha to Akure to Benin. Which is awarded for ₦751 billion.
“And that is to HITECH. So, we’ve aggregated these two projects. It’s one stretch of the route.
“And we presented it to the Federal Executive Council for formal intervention of the new tool. And of course, we added Ore-Benin. And so, they are all settled together.
“And honestly, the roads are in a very terrible situation. What we have done is to ask for the available funds to use it and do palliative. While we secure permanent funds for the intervention.
“So, I want to assure you that I will not allow Mr. President to rest. Until he gives me money to reconstruct this road. And I will do it,” he assured.
