FG signs eight major road projects, targets economic growth, national connectivity

In a major push to expand Nigeria’s transport infrastructure and stimulate economic development, the Federal Government has signed contracts and Memoranda of Understanding for eight strategic road projects across different parts of the country.

The projects form part of the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration’s infrastructure renewal agenda aimed at improving connectivity, reducing travel time and boosting commercial activities nationwide.

Speaking during the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding, the Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, said the projects were designed not only to modernise Nigeria’s road network but also to create long-term economic value through durable engineering and private sector participation.

According to him, one of the flagship projects, the Calabar-Ebonyi-Abuja Super Highway, will significantly reduce travel time between the South-East and Abuja to about four hours upon completion.

The minister disclosed that the Federal Government had already procured the first 123-kilometre single carriageway stretching from Calabar through Ebonyi State to the Benue border, while the newly signed section covers another 173 kilometres traversing Benue, Kogi and Nasarawa States up to the Oweto Bridge.

He further revealed that the government would soon begin procurement for the second carriageway from Ndibe Beach to Oweto in Nasarawa State.

Umahi described the projects as part of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s legacy infrastructure programme spread across the six geopolitical zones.

“The President is President for the entire country. His four legacy projects are dotted throughout the six geopolitical zones,” he said.

The minister also highlighted progress on the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, noting that the project had moved beyond initial criticism to become a symbol of national development.

“When we started the Coastal Highway, people did not believe that it would be a reality. But today, the entire country is waving their flags for President Bola Tinubu because that project is a beauty to behold,” he stated.

He said motorists would, by November, be able to travel from Ahmadu Bello Way in Lagos through Sections One, Two and part of Section Four to Ondo State on completed portions of the road.

According to Umahi, Sections 3A and 3B in Cross River and Akwa Ibom States are ongoing, while Section Five covering 165.6 kilometres has also commenced.

The minister explained that the coastal highway was conceived as a long-term national investment capable of lasting for decades with minimal maintenance.

“This is not just a road project. This is an investment that the President is doing, and this is a road that is going to last for another hundred years with no maintenance,” he said.

Umahi, in a statement signed by his Special Assistant on Media, Mr Francis Nwaze, also disclosed that investors had already shown interest in taking over tolling operations on completed sections of the highway.

“Just like in Section One that we finished in Lagos, a lot of investors are begging to be given that section for them to toll and then give back our money even before they start tolling,” he said.

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He explained that the average cost of constructing a standard carriageway now stands at about N7.5 billion per kilometre due to the inclusion of reinforced concrete pavement, drainage systems, culverts and other engineering features aimed at ensuring durability.

On the Sokoto-Badagry Super Highway, the minister said Section IV covering the Oyo axis spans 360 kilometres and reflects the government’s determination to spread development evenly across the country.

He also revealed that President Tinubu directed that the Akwanga-Jos-Bauchi-Gombe-Biu-Maiduguri Road project be redesigned from asphalt to concrete pavement to guarantee longevity.

“The President said, ‘No, we want to do concrete road so that when we build it, it will last for a hundred years,'” Umahi said.

The minister stated that the government would provide 30 per cent counterpart funding for the projects, while the remaining 70 per cent would be financed through loans.

The major legacy projects signed include the Calabar-Ebonyi-Abuja Super Highway Section II; Sokoto-Badagry Super Highway Section IV in Oyo State; Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway Section V in Akwa Ibom State; and the dualisation of the Akwanga-Jos-Bauchi-Gombe-Biu-Maiduguri Road Section II from Gombe to Biu.

Other projects include the reconstruction of the Mando-Birnin Gwari Road in Kaduna State; dualisation of the Ibadan-Ijebu Ode Road linking Oyo and Ogun states; construction of the Osogbo-Ikirun-Akoda Road in Osun State; and the Osogbo-Iwo-Ibadan Road connecting Osun and Oyo states.

Earlier, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Mr Rafiu Olarinre Adeladan, described the signing ceremony as the formal commencement of implementation after the completion of the procurement process.

Also speaking, the Chief Executive Officer of HITEC Construction Company, Mr Dany Abboud, assured the Federal Government of timely delivery and quality execution of the projects.

“Our commitment is always on the table. We are committed to delivering those jobs before the 36 months that were awarded,” he said.