Umahi: Tinubu administration building roads that will last 100 years

From Laide Raheem, Abeokuta

Minister of Works Dave Umahi has declared that the administration of President Bola Tinubu is not just constructing roads, rather, it is building road infrastructure that will last a century.

Umahi, who gave this declaration on Wednesday, while speaking with reporters shortly after he inspected work on the ongoing Lagos–Sagamu–Ijebu-Ode–Benin expressway reconstruction project, said the adoption of the concrete pavement technology in road construction is to ensure durability and superiority compared to asphalt.

“Show me any asphalt road in this country that has lasted 50 years. Even the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway is already failing in some portions. But the concrete road built in my state in the 1950s is still standing.

“We are not just constructing roads; we are building roads that will last over 100 years,” the Minister stressed.

He expressed satisfaction with the pace and quality of work on the road reconstruction project, describing it as a model of the new standard for federal road infrastructure in Nigeria.

The Minister, who led the inspection team to Sections 1 and 2 of the project being handled by China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC), said the contractor has completed about 8.1 kilometres of one carriageway on the Sagamu-bound lane and is working “day and night” to meet the December 2025 deadline.

“This project is an extension of the Presidential Infrastructure Development Fund (PIDF) initiative. Under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, Section 1 was completed by Julius Berger, and Section 2, Phase 1, by RCC. What CBC is handling now is Phase 2, Section 1, covering about 24 kilometres of reinforced concrete pavement with a carriageway width of 12 metres,” the minister explained.

He disclosed that the current section is about 40 percent completed, adding that the contractor was directed to first deliver the 24-kilometre stretch before proceeding to construct the seven interchanges along the Lagos corridor.

Umahi noted that Section 2, Phase 2, recently awarded to another contractor, will soon commence, while the remaining 96 kilometres of the dual carriageway between Ore and Benin, also being handled by CBC, would maintain the same concrete standard.

He, however, directed the Federal Controller of Works in Ogun State to ensure that every completed five-kilometre stretch is opened to traffic after 21 days and properly maintained to ease movement and reduce travel stress for motorists.

On the aesthetics and safety components of the project, he said the highway would feature solar-powered streetlights, CCTV surveillance, rest areas, clinics, security posts, eateries, and other roadside facilities under the Highway Development and Management Initiative (HDMI).

“We are also introducing tree planting along the corridor for environmental beauty and protection. By the first week of November, Nigerians should begin to see solar lighting installations and other features taking shape,” he added.

The Minister reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to timely delivery of road projects, submitting that “President Tinubu’s infrastructure agenda prioritises quality, safety, and long-term value”.

Umahi later led his team to inspect the ongoing repair work on the damaged flyover at Alapako Village, along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.