Federal Ministry of Works

Jul

2026

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PRESIDENT TINUBU REITERATES COMMITMENT TO QUALITY INFRASTRUCTURE DELIVERY AT THE 34TH COREN ENGINEERING ASSEMBLY

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, has reaffirmed the Federal Government's unwavering commitment to strengthening engineering regulations, promoting quality infrastructure, and safeguarding public safety across Nigeria.

Represented by the Honourable Minister of Works, *Engr. David Umahi, CON, FNSE, FNATE *, while declaring open the 34th COREN Engineering Assembly, the President described the Assembly’s theme, *"Advancing Public Safety in Nigeria through Strategic Engineering Regulatory Enforcement and a Tiered Sanctioning Regime,"* as timely and relevant to the nation’s developmental aspirations.

The President stated that engineering remains the backbone of national development and that effective regulatory enforcement is essential for protecting lives, ensuring quality infrastructure, and restoring public confidence in the engineering profession.

He stressed that regulations are not intended to punish professionals but to protect public interest, noting that *” no road, bridge, or building is more valuable than human life.”*

President Tinubu assured participants that his administration remains fully committed to completing the four (4) Legacy Road Projects across the six geopolitical zones, under the Renewed Hope Agenda. He described them as strategic investments that will transform the nation’s economy, improve connectivity, and stimulate sustainable development.

The Honourable Minister of Works commended the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) for choosing an apt theme that aligns with the Federal Government’s vision for quality infrastructure delivery and adherence to public safety.

He noted that engineering is a profession where mistakes can cost human lives, emphasising that, unlike many other professions, there is often no opportunity for appeal after a structural failure. He, therefore, called for stronger regulations, strict enforcement, and effective sanctions against unqualified practitioners and professionals, who compromise ethics and standards.

Engr. Umahi stressed that site engineers must discharge their responsibilities professionally and should never allow contractors to dictate engineering decisions. He urged Council to strengthen its disciplinary mechanisms, similar to other professional regulatory bodies, to ensure that only qualified engineers are allowed to practice.

The Minister highlighted the achievements of President Tinubu’s administration, especially the ongoing Legacy Road Projects spread across all the geopolitical zones, designed to improve economic integration, enhance national security, create employment opportunities, and stimulate investment.

He expressed confidence that with continued discipline, transparency, and adherence to engineering ethos, Nigeria’s infrastructure deficit would be significantly reduced within the coming years.

Presenting the *Keynote Address* on behalf of the Honourable Minister, the *Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Works, Mr. Rafiu Adeladan,* stated that the Renewed Hope Agenda places infrastructure development at the centre of Nigeria’s economic transformation. He explained that the Ministry is implementing four major Legacy Projects across the geopolitical zones to connect communities, promote commerce, improve national integration, and encourage investment.

The Permanent Secretary emphasised that quality assurance, competence, professionalism, and independence amongst stakeholders remain fundamental requirements for sustainable infrastructure development. He urged engineers to uphold ethical standards, comply strictly with engineering regulations and best practices, and strengthen resilience through adherence to due process

The Chairman of the occasion, *Alhaji Aliko Dangote, GCON,* represented by *Prof. Hassan Umaru* described the Assembly as timely and significant, noting that engineering excellence remains the foundation of public trust, industrial competitiveness, and national development.

He observed that every infrastructure project must be executed according to approved standards and maintained throughout its lifespan. Drawing from the experience of the *Dangote Refinery* project, he explained that rigorous engineering design, quality control, technical discipline, and strict compliance with standards were critical to its successful delivery.

The Chairman called for sustained excellence within the engineering profession and urged COREN to continue strengthening regulatory frameworks, while enforcing disciplinary measures against erring practitioners, in order to safeguard lives and property.

In his *Welcome Address,* the *President of COREN, Engr. Prof. Sadiq Zubair Abubakar, FNSE,* outlined the Council’s statutory responsibility of regulating engineering education and practice in Nigeria, in line with international standards and recommended practices.

He explained that engineering graduates are expected to undergo mandatory industrial training before participating in the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), describing practical exposure as critical to professional competence.

Prof. Abubakar further disclosed that COREN has successfully introduced digital verification and enforcement systems to improve transparency, eliminate fraudulent practices, and strengthen regulatory compliance.

He assured members that the Council would continue to uphold integrity, professionalism, and accountability, while addressing attempts by some practitioners to circumvent established standards. According to him, engineering regulation must remain transparent, sustainable, and effective in preventing infrastructure failures across the country.

In his introductory remarks, *Prof. O. A. U. Uche* emphasised the importance of sustaining quality infrastructure development through continuous improvement in engineering practice. He described infrastructure development as a collective responsibility requiring collaboration among government, professional bodies, academia, industry, and private sector stakeholders. In this vein, he, therefore, called for stronger synergy in advancing engineering excellence and national development.

The *Honourable Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Dr. Bosun Tijjani*, stated that science, technology, and engineering remain critical drivers of economic growth, innovation, and public safety. He pledged continued collaboration between the Ministry and engineering regulatory agencies.

Representing the Nigeria Governors' Forum, the *Governor of Plateau State, Barr. Caleb Mutfwang,* opined that engineering is one of the most respected professions globally and emphasised the need to create an enabling environment for engineers to thrive, while sustaining public safety and economic development.

The *National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Professor Nentawe Yilwatda*, commended COREN for its achievements in regulating engineering practice. He described engineers as the backbone of national development and praised the Federal Ministry of Works, under the leadership of Engr. David Umahi for the remarkable progress recorded on the four Legacy Road Projects and others across the six geopolitical zones.

He congratulated the Ministry for its commitment to quality infrastructure and affirmed that Nigerian engineers continue to distinguish themselves through professionalism and excellence both nationally and internationally.

The 34th Engineering Assembly reaffirms
COREN’s commitment to strengthening engineering regulations, enforcement, and a tiered sanctioning regime to ensure public safety and sustainable infrastructure development in Nigeria.

Nov

2023

Thinking Out of The Box and Inter- Ministerial Co-Operation Resonate as Mr. President's Minister of Works and The Minister of Steel Development Brainstorm on Tapping into the Opportunities in Ajaokuta Steel Plant for The Development of Concrete Road Infrastructure in Nigeria The Honourable Minister of Works, His Excellency Sen. Engr. Nweze David Umahi, CON and the Hon. Minister of Steel Development, Shuaib Audu have resolved to synergize and strategize in tapping into the opportunities in Ajaokuta Steel Plant for the development of road infrastructure in Nigeria. This was part of the outcome of their inter-ministerial meeting held today, 21st November, 2023 at the Office of the Hon. Minister of Works, Federal Ministry of Works, Headquarters, Mabushi- Abuja and this is in keeping with the Renewed Hope Agenda of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency, Sen. Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR who is doing everything possible to reverse the ugly trend of Nigeria's developmental history and revolutionize national economic development within the shortest period of time. The far-reaching resolutions of the two Hon. Ministers underscored the imperative of coordination, cooperation coherence, and complementarity in the execution of Federal Government's action plans for national development. Speaking on the outcome of their meeting, the Hon. Minister of Works said that the Ministry of Steel Development would play a major role in the road infrastructure revolution plan envisioned by Mr. President by providing more than 16% of the materials needed for the construction of Nigeria's roads in concrete pavement. He said that tapping into the opportunities in Steel Industry would not only create jobs and wealth for Nigeria's population, but it would also create a global market and encourage industrialization. "How do we reactivate Ajaokuta Steel. We are going into concrete road, in this concrete road, about 16 percent of it is from Steel while 30 percent is cement. We need a lot of money to start but we decided to face it and God has given us an idea, we need about 35 billion dollars to start. If we start waiting for FG, it might become difficult. We did Return on Investment (ROI), the profit we could have made, part of it will go to bank interest, we are looking at commercial bank, but Federal Executive Council has to endorse it. If this could be done it means Mr. President is actually living to his words, and this is going to be possible." The Hon Minister of Works also commended the Hon. Minister of Steel Development for his efforts in developing the steel sector, noting that steel industry is the bedrock of Nigeria's industrialization and the backbone that stimulates national development and economic boost for the industrial growth of any nation. He assured the Hon. Minister of Steel Development that his Ministry would work collaboratively in his efforts of enhancing the potentialities of Ajaokuta Steel Plant- the largest Steel Mill in Nigeria. "Mr. President never made a mistake in his appointment, I call him a Divine President, and the most important thing is that our eyes are on the job”. The Minister continued, “One of the renewed hope agenda of Mr. President is to think outside the box, Mr. President inherited a large chunk of debt from the past administration. The beauty about it is that he is not complaining, he knew how the country was before he took the job and how it is. The good thing is that if you have passion for something God will give you an idea”. Earlier, the Minister of Steel Development said the meeting was robust and incisive “My mission is a wonderful one, I had a fantastic meeting initiated by the Hon. Minister of Works. We are seriously thinking outside the box to see how we can implement the Renewed Hope Agenda of Mr. President. What we came to discuss here is how to restart Steel production at Ajaokuta Steel Plant. The Hon. Minister of Works has made it very clear that the Federal Government is looking to develop over 30,000 kilometers of road and a large component of that will be from Steel wrought, and percentage of that Steel wrought will be produced in Ajaokuta. We came to have a discussion on how to implement the process for producing it in Ajaokuta within the shortest possible time". The Hon. Minister of Steel Development emphasized the importance of the initiative by both Ministers and expressed hope that it would provide the needed economic boost for the nation, generate revenue and provide thousands of direct jobs for skilled and non- skilled technicians and hundreds of thousands of unskilled jobs in Nigeria. "And we are to achieve 2 or 3 three things , one to create job opportunity for Nigerians as a whole, two, to ensure that the corridor around the North Central Zone and around the Ajaokuta Warri axis is busy with activities and thirdly, the plant has been inactive for close to four decades and we are here to restart the plant within the shortest possible time”. ...

Nov

2023

Gombe State Governor, Inuwa Pays a Working Visit to The Hon. Minister Of Works, Umahi, Seeks Intervention On Road Infrastructure Challenges In Gombe State, North East .... Says Umahi Has The Capacity To Solve Road Infrastructure Challenges In Nigeria The Honourable Minister of Works, His Excellency, Sen. Engr. Nweze David Umahi, CON today, 17th November, 2023 had a meeting in his office with the Governor of Gombe State, His Excellency, Muhammadu Yayaha Inuwa. Though the details of his mission for visiting the Hon. Minister were not disclosed to the press, it was not unconnected with the desire of the State Governor to seek the Federal Government's intervention on the various road infrastructure challenges in Gombe State and Noth East. During his interview with the Press which was quite brief, the Governor of Gombe State said he was satisfied with the outcome of his meeting with the Hon Minister of Works and expressed confidence that with the capacity and ingenuity of the Hon. Minister, the people of his State would in no distant time breathe a sigh of relief on the conditions of the Federal roads in their State “ The Honourable Minister is somebody that has the passion to see that Nigeria goes out of these challenges of infrastructure and economy, I came to discuss issues in my own state especially the North East , he has already given a positive answer to the issues Our meeting is in affirmative and positive and I hope that very soon we shall overcome the problem of infrastructure in this country . I believe he has the passion and capacity and will be able to deliver on the needs of Nigeria. We are encouraging him, and he is encouraging us to ensure that Nigeria is out of the problems and I have got a positive assurance from him.” Earlier, the Hon. Minister of Works shared his words of encouragement with the Governor and congratulated him for his passion to make a great difference in his State. The Hon. Minister also congratulated him on his successful re-election as Governor of Gombe State and for emerging as the Chairman of Northern Governors' Forum. "I congratulate you for your successful re-election as Governor of Gombe State and your emergence as Chairman Northern Governors' Forum. I know you will bring to bare your wealth of experience and knowledge in tackling the developmental challenges not only in your State but also in North East. " He assured that the Renewed Hope Agenda of the President of Nigeria, His Excellency, Sen. Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR is on course and is bringing on board lasting solution to the accumulated developmental challenges in Nigeria. " The new policies on road construction and rehabilitation are robust and enduring. "The scope of intervention by Mr. President is holistic, and palliatives are underway to cater for the critical parts of our road infrastructure that need emergency attention". ...

Nov

2023

Governor Zulum Pays A Courtesy Call To The Hon. Minister Of Works, Seeks Federal Government's Intervention On Road Infrastructure In Borno State The Hon Minister of Works, His Excellency, Sen Engr Nweze David Umahi, CON today 16th November, 2023 had an audience in his office with the Governor of Borno State, His Excellency, Prof. Babagana Umara Zulum CON Although the outcome of the meeting was not made known to the press, it was not unconnected with the zeal of the Governor to queue into the Federal Government's intervention plans on road infrastructure across the States of the Federation. The Governor, an Engineer, is on his second tenure in office and he is seen as one of the Governors that walk the talk in terms of innovative development. The Hon. Minister was happy to receive him in his office and expressed readiness to give him the needed support in the area of road infrastructure. ...

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Nov

2025

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Feb

2019

Minister Guarantees Continuous Funding Of Second Niger Bridge Construction

The Minister of State for Power, Works and Housing, Hon. Mustapha Baba Shehuri has guaranteed Nigerians of Federal Government’s determination to continue funding on-going construction works on the 2nd Niger Bridge linking Asaba, Delta State with Onitsha, Anambra State. He gave the assurance while on an inspection visit to the site.

2. Hon. Shehuri reiterated that since the present Administration came on board, its priority has, essentially, been on infrastructural development. He added that this has placed a huge obligation on the construction of an additional bridge to compliment the existing one built in 1965 as a crucial link between the Eastern and Western regions of the country.

3. Hon. Shehuri said the Federal Government will stop at nothing to ensure that funds are released, as at when due, to the contractor in order to accomplish the project for ease of vehicular traffic and socio - economic enhancement.

4. The Minister revealed that since the commencement of the Main Works for the construction of this national infrastructure in 2017, after the completion of Early Works, Phases I - IV, there has been no delay in payments. This is evident in the appreciable progress achieved so far.

5. On the issue of compensation, the Minister appealed to the affected communities to co-operate with the Federal Government as the project, when eventually completed, would be of benefit to them, in particular, and Nigerians, as a whole.

6. Speaking earlier, the Federal Controller of Works, Anambra State, Engr. Ajani Adeyemo established the fact that the Ministry has already paid compensations to the tune of N3.5Billion for claims on the project corridor. He also disclosed that compensation was paid from Km 23 - 34.9 of the project, though there were still pockets of claims coming in from time to time. These outstanding claims have already been forwarded to the Ministry for consideration and settlement, he added.

7. Engr. Adeyemo, while allaying the fears of Nigerians on the scheduled delivery of the project, further explained that the 2nd Niger Bridge, alongside two other Federal Government projects, are specially funded from the National Sovereign Investments Fund (NSIF) and as such will not experience paucity of funding. The Federal Controller, gladly, informed the Minister that, while the completion period for the contract is 42 months, it is presently at 17% within 4 months.

8. The Project Director, Julius Berger (Nigeria) Limited, Mr Frederick Weiser stated that his Company has received payment on work done thus far and the communities have been co-operating as well. The major threat to the project, according to him, is the River Niger itself. He believes the river was going to rise between 10m to 12m as the rainy season was fast approaching. This, he said, calls for intensive work, 24 hours of the day, seven days a week to ensure it progresses before the River level rises.

Speeches

Aug

2017

Mr Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN At The 23rd Meeting Of The National Council On Works

Address Delivered By The Honourable Minister Of Power, Works And Housing, At The NAF Conference Centre, Abuja On Thursday 20th July 2017

Distinguished ladies and gentlemen:

In choosing the theme of this year's Council, we, seek to raise the level and quality of our transport infrastructure to the globally acceptable standards.

As human beings, mobility has become a major commitment of the global urban agenda.

This must be so because our development, prosperity and sometimes our survival is tied to our mobility and so is our productivity, social and cultural interactions.

I am happy, first, to announce to you that Nigeria, under the leadership of President Buhari has played a critical and positive role in developing a common African position since 2016 that has helped to shape the Global Urban Agenda adopted in Quito, Ecuador this year to guide the global development until 2036.

What is left is for us as champions of that African position and urban agenda, is to begin to localize and implement its component parts for the benefits of our people.

Yes, we have to build roads, highways and bridges.

But the question then is: Roads, highways and bridges to where. Where do they lead?

Unless we know where these critical transport infrastructure lead to, they will either have failed to achieve the objective of mobility or will, at best, do so with difficulty.

Long before the development of the Internet and the proliferation of smart phones and apps, many countries have developed maps to help guide their citizens and transport infrastructure users through the labyrinth of their network of roads.

But these maps alone do not achieve the purpose without road signs, which indicates to road users, how far their journey is, how far they have progressed, how much is left to travel, and how far away they are from one village, city, local government, or from critical services like hospitals, fuel stations and hotels or motels to help ease the stress and tedium of long distance travel.

Sadly, these signs are either non-existent or largely insufficient on our highways.

So, imagine driving by yourself into a city you have never been, how do you know where to link the next interstate highway, or expect to buy fuel or plan to sleep for the night on a long journey or get medical help in case of a road traffic accident.

Have we considered the fact that the existence of highway signs is a reason why the car rental business and its collateral employment thrives in some countries and not in our own?

The proliferation of global, country and state maps on the handheld devices therefore creates a compelling urgency on all of us to start developing and installing signage on our roads, bridges and highways at interstate and intra-state levels.

This is one sure way of facilitating mobility and implementing the local component of the global urban agenda for the benefit of our people.

But it will not be enough to just simply erect any type of sign, in any place or indeed anyhow.

They must be produced according to specifications and enduring materials, and they must be installed to a minimum standard that ensures their durability, endurance and utility for commuters.

I would like to place on public record, my pride, and indeed my gratitude to the staff of the works sector of the Ministry of Power, Works and Housing for their hard work in developing these specifications and standards.

Similarly, I will like to acknowledge the technical support and cooperation that the Corp Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and his team have afforded our team in the process of developing the size, quality and lettering specifications of these signs.

Ladies and gentlemen, helping commuters to navigate the journey is only half of the human benefit of signage and our mobility policy.

The other half is the direct economic benefits to those people who will benefit from contracts, jobs and the financial rewards that come from producing the signs, fabricating the steel, printing the signs, and the labour to be employed in installing them.

These benefits are also true of lane marking.

This is why we have chosen this National Council, where states are represented, professional groups are represented and the requisite technical personnel are present to unveil this policy and programme.

While our roads are still in various stages of completion, our economic needs compel us to refuse to wait until everything is done before we begin to confer the benefits of lane marking and street signage on our people.

We have met in the Ministry and agreed to compile the list of roads where significant sections have been completed, and prepare them for procurement and award of sub-contracts in collaboration with our main contractors, and this procurement will then be advertised in due course as required by law and subject to an open and competitive bids.

As more sections of roads reach completion they will be subject to similar processes so we expect this to be continuous.

While we will implore on and insist that those who benefit from these contracts perform them to the highest standards of quality, we understand that signs can be damaged, and road markings require periodic touching up.

Therefore, we see a future of maintenance jobs and contracts going forward, to create sustained employment in our road transport sector.

Ladies and gentlemen, I could think of no better time, when our economy needs to be creative in order to provide inclusion for unemployed young able-bodied people, and I can think of no better forum than this National Council of Works, to discuss the economic, safety, and people-oriented basis of this policy, to address the theme of this council which is ‘Adequate Traffic Signage - An Essential Key for Highways Infrastructure, Safety and Comfort.’

I will now conclude by saying that everybody has an important role to play in order to ensure that the benefits of this policy reach all the sectors of our economy and the people they are designed for.

I sincerely hope that our government will be able to count on you as we have always done to ensure its successful implementation.

Thank you very much for your attention.

Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN
Honorable Minister for Power, Works and Housing

Thursday 20th July 2017

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Jun

2025

DRIVING NIGERIA’S FUTURE: CELEBRATING TWO YEARS OF TRANSFORMATIVE LEADERSHIP AND THE LAGOS-CALABAR COASTAL HIGHWAY MILESTONE

DRIVING NIGERIA’S FUTURE: CELEBRATING TWO YEARS OF TRANSFORMATIVE LEADERSHIP AND THE LAGOS-CALABAR COASTAL HIGHWAY MILESTONE

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Apr

2025

MID -TERM REVIEW MEETING ON THE IMPLIMENTATION OF THE DECISIONS REACHED AT THE 29TH NATIONAL COUNCIL ON WORKS (NCW) DAY 1

MID -TERM REVIEW MEETING ON THE IMPLIMENTATION OF THE DECISIONS REACHED AT THE 29TH NATIONAL COUNCIL ON WORKS (NCW) DAY 1

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