From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
The Federal Executive Council (FEC), chaired by President Bola Tinubu, approved N265.02 billion on Monday, May 12, for critical road projects across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones, with N175.08 billion allocated to Section II of the East-West Road (Port Harcourt–Ahoada) in the Niger Delta.
Minister of Works David Umahi, speaking after the FEC’s 27th meeting at Aso Rock Villa, said the projects, inherited from the previous administration, were rescoped or phased to align with fiscal realities.
The East-West Road contract, initially awarded in 2009 for N44.83 billion, was revised to N93.41 billion in 2014 and N144.75 billion in 2024 due to economic changes from the naira’s float and subsidy removal.
Umahi noted that flood damage, caused by construction below flood levels, required an additional N30 billion, bringing the total to N175.08 billion. “Section I is completed and ready for commissioning,” he said, urging contractors to finish Section II before the 2025 rainy season.
Other approved projects include:
– Akure–Ado Ekiti dualisation (12.5km): N27.27 billion
– Pada–Kukagi Road, Kwara (Phase I): N8.05 billion
– Lekki, Lagos (7.3km single and 3.3km dual carriageway): N15.43 billion
– Potiskum–Fika–Bajoga–Gombe corridor (11.5km): N16.5 billion
– Oba–Nnewi Road, Anambra (rehabilitation): N9.9 billion
– Ayegun–Oloye Road, Ibadan (redesigned to asphalt): N12.79 billion
“We have phased these projects to better manage funding challenges and ensure that we complete what we start,” Umahi explained. He revealed that 260 palliative projects worth N208 billion, presented to former President Muhammadu Buhari, include 19 completed mega projects like the Kano–Katsina dual carriageway and Enugu’s Artisan Bridge, ready for commissioning. Another 33 projects are set for completion by December 2025.
Umahi proposed commissioning tours involving the Nigerian Union of Journalists, transport unions, and National Assembly members for transparency. He condemned bridge vandalism and illegal sand mining, announcing warning signboards and a ban on mining within 10km of bridges. Three economic corridors—Sagamu–Ore, Ibadan–Ife, and Ilesha–Akure–Benin—await N88 billion in special funding from the Ministry of Finance.
The minister noted safety concerns, noting beam damage on seven Lagos–Ibadan Expressway overpasses and a collapsing bridge in Ebonyi requiring a bypass. Emergency repairs are underway for flood-damaged roads in Bauchi, Itu–Calabar, and Maraba–Keffi. On the Itu–Calabar Road, Umahi said, “People spend seven hours… for a journey that should take no more than two hours,” with HiTech engaged for urgent rehabilitation.