Federal Ministry of Works

Jun

2026

LATEST PRESS

UMAHI ISSUES STRONG WARNING TO NON-PERFORMING CONTRACTORS, SAYS TINUBU MUST NOT BE BLAMED FOR PROJECT DELAYS

The Honourable Minister of Works, Sen. Engr. David Umahi, CON, FNSE, FNATE, has issued a strong warning to contractors handling Federal Government road projects, urging them to fulfil their contractual obligations and eliminate the factors that give rise to unwarranted criticism of the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR.

Speaking during an extensive inspection tour of ongoing road and bridge projects in Kogi and Edo States, the Minister expressed dissatisfaction with the pace of work on some sections of the Abuja-Lokoja Dual Carriageway and the Dualisation of Obajana Junction -Benin Road. He disclosed that, due to funding constraints, the scope of one of the Sections of the Abuja-Lokoja road had to be reduced from 49.28 kilometres to 28 kilometres to concentrate available resources on the most critical portions.

"I am very sad with what I saw on the ground. What was reported to us is not reflected in the actual work being done," the Minister observed.

Engr. Umahi reiterated the Ministry's directive that no section of the Federal highway should remain closed for more than 14 days during construction. He subsequently issued an ultimatum to the affected contractor to complete the required section within the stipulated period or risk termination of the contract.

The Minister, however, commended Messrs JRB Construction Company for the quality and pace of work on its project, describing the company as a model of professionalism and commitment. According to him, "If everybody does his job accordingly, there will be no reason to shift the blame to Mr. President."

He also issued a 72-hour ultimatum to GELD Construction Company, handling one of the sections, to effectively utilise funds already released to demonstrate visible progress on the project.

According to the Minister, a substantial percentage of Nigeria's Federal road network had deteriorated before the advent of the present administration, stressing that President Tinubu inherited enormous infrastructure challenges but has continued to make significant strides to restore and modernise the nation's road sector.

He further directed the Federal Controllers of Works (FCW), Engineers’ Representatives (E.R.), and project supervisors to strengthen monitoring mechanisms and enforce greater accountability, insisting that all procurement processes and expenditures must be properly justified.

As part of the inspection tour, the Minister visited the reconstruction of the existing pavement and completion of the additional carriageway on Section III of the Abuja–Lokoja Dual Carriageway, including works being executed by Trucrete Solutions Limited on the Koton Karfe–Abuja alignment.

He also inspected two critical bridge projects along the same corridor, as well as the ongoing dualisation of the Lokoja–Benin Road. The projects inspected include Section I, Obajana Junction–Okene, and Section II covering the Okene–Auchi corridor across Kogi and Edo States.

The Minister further assessed progress on the flyover and interchange components of the project being executed by CCG Contractors, with the flyovers at approximately 80 percent completion and the interchange at about 30 percent.

The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Works, Senator Allwell Heacho Onyesoh, commended Engr. Umahi for his visionary leadership and firm commitment to ensuring value for public funds. He noted that political office holders can no longer continue to bear responsibility for the poor performance of contractors, stressing that Nigerians expect tangible results and timely project delivery.

Senator Onyesoh also appealed to the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) and the Federal Ministry of Finance to ensure the timely release of funds for ongoing projects. He added that the Committee would reserve its final assessment pending the level of commitment and progress demonstrated by the contractors.

Similarly, the Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Works, Hon. Akin Alabi, called on all stakeholders to support the Ministry in delivering a quality road network across the country. He emphasised that road development is a collective responsibility and observed that President Tinubu has entrusted the Ministry with the critical task of ensuring efficient project execution.

Addressing contractors, Hon. Alabi assured them that the Federal Government remains committed to meeting all legitimate payment obligations, while commending JRB Construction Company for its significant investment and commitment to Nigeria's infrastructure development.

The Managing Director of GELD Construction Company, Mr. Fadi Azimi, assured the delegation that the company would intensify work and ensure improved project delivery, in line with the Ministry's expectations.

The Ministry reaffirmed its determination to address the challenge of non-performing contractors and reiterated its commitment to strengthening supervision, accountability, and the timely delivery of quality road and bridge infrastructure across the country.

Aug

2021

Jebba-Mokwa-Tegina Road Not Cut Off - FG The attention of the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing has been drawn to an online story over the weekend, stating that a bridge along Jeba -Mokwa road had collapsed resulting in total closure of the road " This is totally false as the recently constructed Talabu bridge along the road that was claimed to have collapsed is intact contrary to the online report" Faulting the story, the motorists flying the Jeba-Mokwa road who were interviewed confirmed that the road has not been cut off anywhere, as their movement has not been affected in any way as claimed in the story In view of this, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Works and Housing, Babangida Hussaini, hereby assures motorists that the road is safe and passable, urging them to disregard the story and not to panic Mr. Babangida further reassured the public that the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari is working tirelessly to provide good roads for Nigerians, as such called on the citizens to give the government necessary support and encouragement He explained that the Ministry has Controllers of Works in every state that will quickly inform the Ministry of any emergency of such nature on our roads for immediate intervention. Mr. Babangida therefore appealed to Nigerians to verify stories received on social media before sharing such. ...

Aug

2021

Fashola Inspects Federal Road Projects Executed By Yobe State Government ...Minister promises to submit his findings for consideration by FG The Minister of Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola, SAN, on Monday inspected the Nguru - Machina and Gashua - Yusufari, federal road projects that the Yobe State Government executed for which they are requesting reimbursement. While speaking to journalists during the inspection, the Minister said President Muhammadu Buhari promised that refund would be made to all states that intervened in Federal Roads though such interventions took place before the advent of this administration in 2015. He explained that some State Governments got their own refund in the first term of this administration while some others got theirs late last year. However, States like Yobe and Kebbi who were yet to get their own sent their requests to the Federal Government which led to the reconstitution of the Presidential Committee to assess the claims by the State Governments and submit their reports for consideration. Fashola said in response to a question on the possible amount being expected by the State, " You know that there are standard prices for materials and also standard design, we will file our report based on what we find, we have a method for making quantification and we will send it to the government Cost Control Centre and they will then advice government as to appropriate payment ". Speaking on the impact of the ongoing special repair of the heavily flooded area in Zangwon Kanwa on Nguru - Machina Road by the Federal Government, Fashola described the work as a relief measure for the Community because due to the excavation of some of the construction materials from the area, it was burrowed thereby turning it into a pond which has become the lowest point in the place, a situation that brought a lot of challenges to the people. He said the current work by the Government is a temporary measure which would be followed by a permanent solution that would be considered by both the State and Federal Government. The Secretary to Yobe State Government, Baba Mallam Wali expressed gratitude to the Honourable Minister for coming to assess the projects and hoped that he had seen quality work. Earlier, the Federal Controller of Works in Yobe State, Engineer Olusegun Babalola Akinmade informed the Minister that the repair work in the flooded area in Zangwon Kanwa on Nguru - Machina road will intensify after the raining season. He said the water in the pond will be rechannelled while the capacity will be increased downward by 2 metres just as it is done in residential houses when Septic Tanks are emptied. The Controller said the situation was so bad before work commenced in the area to the extent that some residents were evacuated. The Minister was received at the border between Jigawa and Yobe by the Federal Controller of Works in Yobe State, Engineer Olusegun Akinmade and a high-level delegation comprising the Speaker of the Yobe State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Ahmed Lawal Mirwa, the Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Baba Mallam Wali, the Commissioner for Works, Engr. Umar Wakili and some traditional rulers. He was accompanied on the inspection tour by the Director Highways, Construction and Rehabilitation, Engr. Folorunsho Esan and the Director Highways, North East, Engr. Celestine Shausu among others. ...

Aug

2021

Governor Bagudu Commends President Buhari For Completing Legacy Road Projects In The State The Excutive Governor of Kebbi State, Sen Abubakar Atiku Bagudu has commended President Mohammadu Buhari GCFR, for completing one of the legacy roads his administration inherited; the Sokoto-Tambuwa-Gwandu-Aliero-Jega-Yawuri-Kotongora road. The Governor said this over the weekend when the Honourable Minister of State for Works and Housing, Engr. Abubakar Aliyu, FNSE paid him a courtesy visit. He said: “The road is one of the most important roads, not only does it link other states with the Federal Capital Territory, but it is the main gateway to Lagos.” Continuing, he said: “I remember in 2015 when we came in before the completion of the road, whenever we were having security council meeting, it was a nightmare for the Emir of Yauri to come, but today, he even looks forward to coming for the meetings.” He commended the efforts of the Ministry that made it possible for Mr. President to complete the road saying that it was one of the numerous uncompleted roads that were inherited by the Buhari’s administration. Speaking on the importance of the road, the Commissioner of Works and Transportation, Alhaji Chika Ladan commended Mr. President also saying that it has saved the road users more travelling time. “Traveling from Yauri to Birnin Kebbi used to take about five hours traveling time, but today, it takes less than two hours on the same road,” he said. The Minister, who was in the state to verify the claims of refund on the Federal Government roads undertaken by the State Government, said that out of the total distance of road we have in the country, about 34,000 kilometres of the distance is under the jurisdiction of Federal Government. “Out of the 34,000 kilometres, we are currently working on over 13,000 kilometres simultaneously with over 800 contracts currently going on all over the country, covering all the Six Geo-Political Zones” he added. The long distance Sokoto-Tambuwa-Gwandu-Aliero-Jega-Yawuri-Kontogora road is divided into two sections. The Kebbi section of the road is about 171km with an origin at Jega township roundabout with a standard 7.3m carriageway. While the Sokoto section is about 133km with additional 8.0km Bye pass and it originated from Sokoto Airport roundabout through South West direction passing through Bodinga-Shagari-Tanbuwal, Aliero and terminates in Jega town at the Birnin Kebbi-Koko roundabout. The overall percentage completion of works to date is 100% in Sokoto section and 99.94% in Kebbi State section respectively. Lane Marking in the Kebbi section is in progress. ...