The Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, announced that President Bola Tinubu has approved funding for the Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano and Lagos-Ibadan highways, as well as the Second Niger Bridge II bypass projects.
The minister stated that the approval by Tinubu will remove the financial barriers to the three projects.
He stated that the Tinubu-led Federal Government was determined to remove all impediments to the road infrastructure revolution it launched.
Umahi stated this while reviewing the Lafia bypass and the dualization of the Ninth Mile-Enugu-Otukpo-Makurdi road project in Makurdi, Benue State’s capital.
The minister was accompanied by Benue State Governor Hyacinth Alia.
The 260-kilometer project is managed by China Harbour Nigeria Limited and jointly financed by the Export-Import Bank of Nigeria (85 percent) and the Federal Government (15 percent), traversing the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nasarawa, Benue, and Enugu states.
The project is planned to be completed in 48 months.
Umahi said: “I want to thank Mr. President that, about three days ago, he approved that work should immediately commence in many sections of the Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano.
“It is cheering news for me. We were having some problems with funding, but the President has solved the problem and directed the immediate release of funds so that the road will continue.
“The same thing with the Lagos-Ibadan highway and the Second Niger Bridge II bypasses.”
The minister, who inspected the Mararaba-Keffi restoration and expansion project, praised Benue and Enugu Governors Alia and Peter Mbah for establishing task force committees to provide security at the project’s locations.
He declared that Alia’s request to Tinubu for a specific inclusion in the road project would be granted.
Umahi said, “We are from Abuja to Mararaba to Keffi. That is an ongoing project of dualization, and it is 43 kilometers.
”It is being done with Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) funding.
”Whatever had impeded the funding, graciously, God lifted it, and the President has approved—in all zones of the country—that the job should go ahead.
“We noticed that there was a lot of hold-up around the beginning of the project.
”So, I have asked them to study it because the essence of governance is for the convenience of the people.
”So, if we have a lot of hold-ups there, people can’t plan. So, we have directed that we should have a flyover at the location to ease it.
“So, the road from Keffi to Makurdi has been completed, and we are going to toll it.”
The minister expressed concerns about various features of the projects, stating that the contractors should make changes for the convenience of the driving public.
