Tag: Umahi

Works Minister Dave Umahi yesterday assured that the ongoing Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway will withstand flood for about 50 years.

Umahi gave the assurance at a stakeholder engagement on Section 2 of the highway yesterday in Lagos.

“We will make sure that our pavement level is going to counter any climate change,” he said.

According to him, the pavement level would be at the first floor of many buildings.

“To retain the road, we are going to be building retaining board. It has already started.

“We also have the cable duct, so you don’t have to cut the road. MTN, African Plus or any other network doesn’t have to cut the road. The cables are there, I saw them.”

He reiterated that there would be closed circuit television cameras on the road to cut down response time to less than five minutes.

The minister also said that the highway would have an evacuation corridor.

Umahi said: We are going to be earning carbon credit by the reason of the use of concrete pavement which will have no emission.”

He said that there would be trees all through on the road to make it exciting.

Read Also: Umahi, Nwifuru wade into community, hospital face-off

“We have the Dangote Refinery. You need about 60 metres clearance for the trucks to go in and out. We are now building a flyover that has a span of 60 metres, and then the next span is 41.6 metres counterbalance.

“We are flying over Dangote Refinery, and the seven axial road is coming. It is going to be a point to behold. It is going to be another tourist site.

“Let me announce that along the corridor, there are lands that the state government has given us the right so we can build what I call relief centres where you can stop to have snacks, buy petrol.”

He added that supermarkets and medical facilities would be part of the centres. Umahi thanked stakeholders for their support.

“Let me thank you all for coming to this public engagement.

“There are some people who are here not because they have money to claim but because of the love they have for this development.”

He also praised project handler – Hitech Construction Company – for excellence and timeliness.

The Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, has reopened the Independence Bridge located on Victoria Island following the massive traffic gridlock that enveloped the Ikoyi area of Lagos. 

The Independence Bridge is a critical component of Lagos’s road network, serving as a major gateway for both private and commercial transportation within the city.

The Nation observed that remedial measures to reopen the bridge for vehicular traffic has been carried out. 

Read Also: Umahi, Nwifuru wade into community, hospital face-off

The bridge was reopened around 1:00pm on Friday, April 4th.

Addressing journalists in Lagos on Friday, Umahi said permanent work on the bridge will commence in three weeks.

The minister said the contractors worked overnight to ensure that the bridge was ready for use. 

Umahi acknowledged the importance of the bridge, which links Victoria Island to other key parts of Lagos, and apologized for the inconvenience caused by the temporary closure.

Umahi said: “We worked throughout the night to restore this. We will start permanent work in the next three weeks.”

The Minister of Works, David Umahi, has directed contractors handling the East-West Road to ensure its completion by November 2025.

During an inspection tour on March 12, 2025, Umahi reaffirmed the federal government’s commitment to delivering the long-awaited project, which serves as a vital link between key economic hubs in Nigeria’s South-South region.

“This project is not just about roads; it is about the lives and livelihoods of millions of Nigerians,” Umahi said. 

“By November 30, 2025, the remaining sections must be fully completed. No more delays. The President has provided the necessary funding, and we expect nothing less than timely and high-quality work.”

The 361km road, spanning from Warri in Delta State to Oron in Akwa Ibom, has faced multiple setbacks since its initiation nearly two decades ago. The Ministry of Works has allocated ₦524 billion to complete the remaining 117km, including dual carriageways and bridges across Bayelsa, Rivers, and other parts of the region.

Umahi noted that the recently completed 47km Section 2.1, inherited from the previous administration, is fully paid for and will be commissioned on May 31, 2025. The remaining 22km of Section 2.2—11km per carriageway—must be finished by the November deadline.

The Minister noted that at the Mbiama section, where flooding in 2023 damaged 3km of the road, Setraco has raised the elevation by one meter and added culverts to prevent future washouts. Work on the 54.5km Ahoada-to-Kaiama stretch is 70% complete, with 11 bridges and 14 box culverts finished on one side.

Read Also: Umahi breaks fast with Ebonyi Muslim community

In the Eleme section, Umahi directed contractor RCC to speed up progress and redesign drainage using pre-cast systems for efficiency. He set an April 30, 2025, target for carriageway completion, though drainage work may extend beyond that.

With the road linking vital oil-producing areas—responsible for 1.5 million barrels per day—improved connectivity is expected to ease transport, support businesses, and lower food prices. 

Economist Dr. Muda Yusuf predicts a 10-15% drop in transport costs by 2026, benefiting farmers, traders, and consumers.

However, challenges remain a projected 2.5% global price increase in 2025 could push project costs beyond the budgeted ₦600 billion, and Nigeria’s foreign reserves have dropped 5.6% to $31.7 billion since March 2024, fueling funding challenges. 

Despite this, contractors and industry stakeholders praised the government’s support, with RCC and Setraco officials affirming their commitment to meeting the November 2025 deadline.

There will be no compromises on the fulfilment of contractual obligations over road construction quality, Minister of Works Dave Umahi has said.

He spoke during a site visit to the Zuba interchange on the Abuja-Kadina-Kano road rehabilitation project at the weekend.

The minister restated the government’s stance that contractors will no longer receive automatic mobilisation payments.

He said: “The Procurement Act states that a client ‘may’ pay mobilisation, not ‘must’ or ‘shall.’ We adjusted this clause and made it clear that mobilisation is not automatic.

“If you claim financial capacity during bidding, we expect you to start work immediately.

“No contractor in the Ministry of Works will receive mobilisation without first being on-site for at least 30 days doing permanent work.”

The contract for the ongoing project is valued at N252 billion, with the contractor given 14 months from the signing date to complete the work.

The minister explained that terminating the previous contract was a necessary step to uphold engineering principles and ensure efficiency.

He also confirmed that by mid-March, continuous reinforced concrete paving would begin on the road.

The minister said the Federal Executive Council (FEC) would consider Section 2 of the project this week.

According to him, the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) has completed the procurement process and FEC will approve the recommended contractor.

Managing Director of Infouest Construction Company, Joseph Abougaoude, acknowledged the high expectations from the government.

“The minister told me, ‘Mobilise to site, and if you need money, I am ready to give you my personal money.’

“That made me realise the challenge he has taken on his shoulders.

“I accepted the challenge, and for the past three months, we have worked tirelessly. You can see the results,” he said.

Read Also: Dangote Refinery’s price slash boosts patronage at MRS, affiliated filling stations

Umahi provided updates on other road projects, saying that by mid-year, many would be ready for commissioning.

These include Section 1 of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, of which 30 kilometres will be completed, leaving 17.47 kilometres pending due to settlement issues.

He said key segments of the Lekki Deep Seaport road projects, funded under the Dangote Tax Credit Scheme, will be ready, adding that the projects will improve connectivity to the Lagos-Shagamu route and facilitate the transportation of goods.

Umahi said despite the ministry’s termination of Julius Berger’s contract for the Abuja-Kano highway, the company remains engaged in other major infrastructure projects, such as the Bodo-Bonny Road, Carter Bridge rehabilitation, Third Mainland Bridge maintenance, and Idodo Bridge reconstruction.

“Julius Berger is not out; they are very much in. The new MD understands our policies and respects the engineering standards we uphold.

“If one plus one is suddenly becoming three, we need to know why. As engineers, we will not be misled.” 

Citing strengthened naira and declining petrol prices Works Minister David Umahi yesterday called on cement manufacturers to slash the price of their product to N7,000.

He attributed the appreciating value of the naira and reduction in petroleum product costs to responses to the economic policies introduced by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

The minister however cautioned telecom service provider MTN and construction company RCC Nigeria Ltd over the delayed execution of the Enugu-Onitsha Expressway project, funded under the Infrastructure Development and Refurbishment Investment (Tax Credit) Scheme.

According to a statement by his media aide Uchenna Orji, the minister threatened to hold MTN liable for any funding challenges and ruled out any consideration for variation of price (VOP) by the government until the project is completed.

Umahi spoke in Abuja during a meeting with representatives of the two firms – MTN and RCC. Minister of State for Works, Mohammad Bello Goronyo and the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Mr. O.O. Adebiyi, were at the meeting.

Funding and execution of the Enugu-Onitsha Expressway by MTN and RCC were discussed at the meeting, which reaffirmed May 10, next year completion deadline for the project.

Reaffirming the government’s commitment to maintaining high construction standards, the minister highlighted the need for cost adjustments in line with the improving economic conditions, particularly in the cement sector.

Umahi said: “I’m happy that the policies of Mr. President are working. Today, a dollar is about N,400. At the time the dollar was almost N2,000, cement prices rose from N7,500. Now that the President has stabilized the exchange rate, why is cement still selling at N9,500?

Read Also: Umahi: First 30km of Lagos-Calabar coastal highway to be ready in May

“We are requesting cement manufacturers to bring down the cost of cement to N7,000. If after one week they don’t do that, I will have to complain officially to Mr. President.”

Regarding the Enugu-Onitsha Expressway project, a resolution was reached with MTN Nigeria and RCC to set a firm completion deadline of May 10, 2026.

The telecom firm was also cautioned about its responsibility in ensuring proper funding, while RCC was reminded of the government’s commitment to contractual obligations.

“There will be no variation or VOP on the project. And RCC must note that going forward, the operation of VOP in their projects must be in accordance with the procedure contained in the Conditions of Contract and not at the whims and caprices of the contractor.

“MTN must not sacrifice its responsibility of funding the project at the altar of business profit, as this will wittingly or unwittingly inhibit speedy delivery and impugn the public perception of the government’s commitment to completing the project.

“There must be a written commitment between MTN and the Federal Ministry of Works to adhere to these conditions. The more the job delays, the more variation becomes a factor.”

The minister also addressed concerns regarding alleged interference by the ministry in the project, clarifying that the decision to halt the use of unsuitable construction materials was in line with the government’s duty to ensure quality.

“We have to put the records straight that this ministry has the responsibility to ensure quality delivery of work by contractors. And the contractor in this case is MTN,” he said.

Elaborating on his site inspections and issues identified, he said: “We went through what MTN was doing. We discovered that they were using peeled sand to do the job.

“I’m an engineer, not a history graduate. I’m a fellow of the Nigerian Society of Engineers and I’ve spent all my life in the field.

“We gave a directive, which is in line with the general conditions of contract, that they should stop using such sand and go back to using river sand, which we paid for.”

The minister also criticized RCC for demanding an additional N14 billion on a N38 billion project under the pretext of inflation, warning that such indulgences by contractors would no longer be tolerated.

Echoing Umahi’s position, Goronyo and the permanent secretary stressed the importance of policies that ensure timely project execution and value for money.

They urged RCC Nigeria Ltd to align with the Renewed Hope Agenda (RHA) vision of the administration and complete the Enugu-Onitsha Expressway on schedule for commissioning by the President.

In his remarks the MTN representative reaffirmed the company’s commitment to meeting the deadline.