Federal Ministry of Works

Sep

2026

LATEST PRESS

UMAHI ORDERS IMMEDIATE EMERGENCY INTERVENTION ON BENIN-ASABA ROAD, AND SOME OTHER CRITICAL FEDERAL ROADS

The Honourable Minister of Works, Senator Engr. David Nweze Umahi, CON, has directed the immediate deployment of major contractors to all three sections of the Benin-Asaba Federal Road to restore the failed sections and bring an end to the suffering of motorists and other road users.

This is because, the situation on the concessioned Benin-Asaba Road has reached a point where the overall public interest must take precedence over the existing concession agreement.

Recall that the Honourable Minister of Works was on the Benin-Asaba Road about seven days ago, where he assembled a number of contractors and directed them to prepare for immediate palliative intervention on the affected sections of the road at no cost to the concessionaire. In line with the Concession agreement which requires that before the Federal Government could intervene, the permission of the concessionaire must be required, and that permission was not granted to federal government.

The Minister subsequently proposed three options to the concessionaire, any one of which would have enabled the Federal Government to move in and address the worsening condition of the road. Unfortunately, none of the options was accepted by the concessionaire. Immediately after the Minister left Asaba, the already limited equipment deployed to the road by the concessionaire was further reduced to just one, worsening the situation and increasing the suffering of motorists and other road users.

While the Minister takes responsibility for the concerns and suffering of Nigerians using the road, it is important to state that the concessionaire has also not taken the suffering of Edo people and travelling public sufficiently into consideration by declining all the options put forward by the Federal Government. The concessionaire continues to rely on the terms of the concession agreement entered into by the previous administration, an agreement which weighs heavily against the Federal Government’s ability to intervene quickly in the interest of the public in a situation like this.

In view of this situation, the Honourable Minister of Works has directed the immediate deployment of major contractors within the corridor to all three sections of the Benin-Asaba Road to restore the failed sections and bring relief to the people, with the cost of the emergency intervention being borne by the Federal Government. The Honourable Minister has also directed immediate redesign of the entire route to be rebuilt with reinforced concrete pavement. The public should therefore take note that immediate action is underway to restore every failed section of the Benin-Asaba Road and subsequently rehabilitate the entire sections of the road using reinforced concrete pavement.

2. On the Benin-Sapele Road:
The Governors of Edo and Delta States, the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), and the Federal Government are currently engaged in interventions on different sections of the road to restore the entire route. While some sections are receiving palliative attention, permanent works are also ongoing on other sections.

3. On Ifaki(Ekiti) - Kabba (Kogi) Road:
The Federal Government is engaging both the contractor; Gamji Nigeria Company Limited, and Dangote PLC on immediate emergency and permanent intervention on the most failed sections of the road, while efforts are being made to financially mobilise the company for more extensive permanent work to commence on the axis.

4. On the Sokoto-Zamfara-Katsina Road: This is an inherited project involving the dualisation of approximately 350 kilometres, which translates to about 700 kilometers. The project has since been redesigned and is currently ongoing and most sections are being reconstructed using reinforced concrete pavement. From the Sokoto axis towards Zamfara, over 50 kilometres of one carriageway have been fully completed with reinforced concrete pavement. From Zamfara to Katsina, some sections have been completed and palliative works have been ordered over the sections that have not been reconstructed. However, the pace of work slowed down due to the redesign and rephasing of the project. The contractors currently engaged on the road include CBC, SETRACO, Triacta and Mothercat. They are being remobilised to return to site and complete the outstanding works.

5. On the Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano Road: The Federal Government took over the Road project and has currently completed the 118-kilometer mostly on reinforced concrete pavement on lot 1. The Lot 2, which covers 164 kilometres, is over 60 percent completed on reinforced concrete pavement. The Federal Government has also introduced solar-powered light on the entire route of Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria - Kano to improve visibility during night travel and enhance the overall security situation on the route. The entire project is scheduled for completion by December 2026.

6. On Bauchi-Jigawa Road: Triacta Nigeria Limited has been mobilised to carry out the necessary interventions on some failed sections and work is currently ongoing in those failed sections.

7. On the Sagamu-Ore Road: 48 Kilometers of the 96-kilometre road have already been completed using reinforced concrete pavement. There is also a 24-kilometre section around Ore which was abandoned by the previous contractor. The Federal Government has directed its immediate restoration to ensure seamless travel. Solar lights are being installed in the entire 96kilometer of the road.

8. On Flooded Sections on Sagamu-Ore-Benin Road: The flooded sections on the same corridor between Sagamu-Ore-Benin Road, as well as other flooded sections in Ondo State, are being designed for emergency procurement and intervention.

9. On the East-West Road:
Some failed and critical sections, including defective sections of bridges along the East-West Road, are being marked out for emergency procurement and intervention.

10. On the Abuja-Lokoja Road:
Several contracts are ongoing along the route, while the three critical sections currently without contracts are being procured for emergency intervention.

11. On the Lokoja-Benin-Warri Road: The President has directed a complete redesign and procurement of the 400-kilometre dualised route covering the uncompleted sections, using reinforced concrete pavement, while palliative works will continue with the contractors currently on the road.

12. On Carter Bridge:
While the Federal Government continues to undertake weekly maintenance of the underwater elements of the bridge. The site has also been handed over to the contractor, CCECC, for the construction of a permanent new bridge, and work has commenced.

13. On the Third Mainland Bridge:
With regard to the defective underwater structural elements, the Federal Government is at the final stage of determining the appropriate intervention for the repair of the affected elements.

14. On the flooded section of the Lagos-Ibadan Road: Work has commenced on the affected section. There are also several flooded sections on federal roads across the six geopolitical zones, largely occasioned by excessive flooding and the effects of climate change. The Federal Government is identifying and marking these sections for immediate attention.

15. On the First and Second Niger Bridges:
Intervention work is ongoing on the approach roads to the Second Niger Bridge damaged by flood and the work is progressing very well. The First Niger Bridge has been closed to traffic to enable immediate repair works. Contractor has mobilized to site and comprehensive rehabilitation of the bridge has started. From Summit Junction to the First Niger Bridge, massive rehabilitation work is also ongoing using reinforced concrete pavement.

16. The Honourable Minister wishes to commend the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, for the massive work being undertaken on the nation’s roads since the administration assumed office in 2023.

17. It is important to state that when the present administration came into office, there was hardly any part of the country where one could travel for an hour without encountering significant challenges on the road network. The condition of the country’s roads and bridges was a major national infrastructure challenge.

18. Rather than shy away from the problem, the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu made the nation’s road network a priority. Virtually every part of the country became a priority, and the Federal Government, through the Federal Ministry of Works, Regional Commissions, Parastatals and other MDA’s has continued to respond extensively to these challenges.

19. The Federal Government is currently working on over 80 percent of the inherited federal roads, an unprecedented level of intervention in the country’s road infrastructure.

20. We ask the public to understand the enormous challenges inherited on our roads and bridges and to take note not only of the problems being solved, but also of the permanent solutions being introduced.

21. A major part of this new approach is the use of reinforced concrete pavement, designed to significantly extend the lifespan of major roads. These roads are expected to last between 50 and 100 years. This means that roads being constructed under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration are being designed with future generations in mind, rather than simply providing temporary solutions to today’s problems. And this is a complete departure from the past, when roads often deteriorated only a few years after completion, resulting in a continuous cycle of reconstruction and expenditure.

22. We appreciate the concerns of Nigerians over the condition of some roads presently and the difficulties faced by motorists and commuters who cannot move easily from one point to another. Those concerns are legitimate, and the Federal Government is listening. But Nigerians should also recognise the enormous scale of the problems inherited and the amount of work currently being undertaken across the country.

23. It is simply impossible to resolve every road challenge accumulated over many years of neglect by the past administrations within three years. What is important is that the government is working, the government is responding, and the government is putting permanent solutions in place.

25. We appreciate members of the public who send situation reports on failed roads and other infrastructure challenges. These reports help the Ministry identify areas requiring urgent attention. However, we also appeal to members of the public to report when such problems have been addressed, just as they report when they occur.

24. We are aware of situations where photographs and reports of road challenges continue to circulate on social media even after the Federal Government has intervened and resolved the particular problem.
25. However, the Ministry will continue to respond as rapidly as possible to genuine reports and concerns from Nigerians.
26. It is also important to note that we have compiled a comprehensive record of all inherited, ongoing and intervention projects across the country which is available to the public. This is to ensure that Nigerians have access to information on the infrastructure projects being undertaken nationwide and can fully participate in and appreciate the infrastructure revolution of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.

Mar

2022

Commitment To Human Resources Determines Quality of Life – Fashola …As Ministry of Works and Housing hosts 2020 Staff Recognition and Reward Ceremony in Abuja The Minister of Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, SAN has declared that the commitment of the human resources comprising men and women determines the quality of life in every given environment. He stated this at the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing 2020 Staff Recognition and Reward Ceremony during which 35 outstanding members of staff were honoured for productivity and diligence in service delivery at the International Conference Centre, Abuja on Monday 14th March 14, 2022. The Minister emphasized that the quality and quantity of man and woman power commitment determines the quality of life and should be accorded adequate attention and care hence the institution of the awards to encourage better productivity from the staff. “I believe that human resources require more attention to get the best out of them and it is part of the reason why we undertake this process of recognition and reward ceremony to those who have given their skill, their time, some beyond the call of duty and who have demonstrated a commitment that is an enchantment to others,” he said. Fashola said that Civil and Public Servants are goal getters who can do everything and anything if they are challenged, stating that whatever government initiates, civil and public servants will deliver on them. “I also tell my colleagues when we hold our monthly meetings, that perhaps we have not paid enough attention to the activities and possibilities that lies in the public service. I truly believe that Civil and Public Servants can do everything and anything if they are challenged, if a government responds today and say I want to run a policy of education, civil service will deliver and if after an election and a change of government and it comes and says I want to deliver a programme on free education, the same civil service that delivered paid education will move again and deliver on free education,” he said. The Minister also reiterated government’s commitment to ensuring adequate and conducive environment for workers to thrive by making sure that the federal secretariats across the nation are in good working condition. “At our assumption of duty, we saw that the federal secretariats across the nation where some of our staff work require attention. Today, we have essentially refurbished, renovated and now undertaking daily and routine maintenance in 24 Federal Secretariats across the nation to make the place more habitable and hoping that this will provide better and more deserving work accommodation and better environment for civil and public servants not only in our Ministry but all Federal and Public staff employed in all states.” Fashola applauded the awardees and admonished them to keep on working hard, adding that the reward called for more work. He added that the awardees represent the 5000 staff strength of the Ministry nationwide who do the hard work, and make possible some of the things that seem impossible before now. “For me, the Nigerian Civil and Public Servants deserves to be resourced, rewarded and also to be accountable,” he said. In his welcome address, the Director Overseeing the Office of the Permanent Secretary Federal Ministry of Works and Housing, Engr. Chukwunwike Uzor said the awardees were carefully selected using quantifiable and objective parameters that ensured that the best candidate emerged from each of the category’s field of selection, explaining that it was necessary to ensure transparency, integrity in the mode of selection, and above all to achieve the objective of the exercise which promotes excellence. He congratulated the awardees and advised them not to rest on their oars, adding that to whom much is given, much is also expected. In her goodwill message, the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Dr. Folashade Yemi-Esan represented by the Permanent Secretary Staff Welfare, Office of the Head Of Service Dr. Ngozi Onwudiwe congratulated the Management and Staff of the Ministry for joining the train of MDAs that have accepted the need for recognition of the contribution of staff who have shown outstanding performance and exemplary conduct in the discharge of their duties towards the attainment of the mandates of the Ministry. She urged the awardees to be shining stars and examples for other members of staff and also continue to maintain the reputation of effective service delivery for which the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing is known in the public service. The Head of Service also encouraged those that were not so lucky at this year’s award to work harder to be the shining stars for recognition at the next recognition and award ceremony. The awards were in the categories of: Most Hardworking Junior Staff, Best Performing Senior Staff, Best Performing Task Team and Most Outstanding Director of the year. Responding on behalf of the recipients, the award winner of the Most Outstanding Director of the year, Director Highways, Planning and Development, Federal Ministry of Works and Housing, Engr. Ibi Terna Manasseh, thanked the management and staff of the ministry for the special award. ...

Mar

2022

Convoy Of FG’S Team To Second Niger Bridge Not Involved In Road Crash No fatal crash occurred during Tuesday’s inspection of the Second Niger by a Federal Government Team led by the Chief of Staff to the President, Professor Ibrahim Gambari. Contrary to the sensational report making the rounds on the social media, the Team which also comprised the Minister of Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, SAN, his Labour and Productivity counterpart, Dr. Chris Ngige and the Managing Director of the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority, Mr Uche Orji on arrival at the Asaba Airport in Delta State visited the Interchange along Owerri-Onitsha Road and the East approach to the Bridge in Onitsha from where they walked across to the West approach. After a media briefing by members of the Team, the Chief of Staff was conducted to the West approach at Asaba and the Toll Plaza of the Bridge before returning to Abuja. It was discovered much later that one of the vehicles in the Team of the Commissioner of Police from Anambra State had a mishap during which two policemen sustained injuries. It was confirmed from the Nigeria Police, Anambra State Command that they were treated at the Federal Medical Centre Asaba and had since been discharged. The Minister of Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola SAN, following anxious calls from well-meaning members of the public about the safety of the members of the Federal Government delegation, expresses deep sympathies over the injured two men of the Anambra Police Command. However, no lives were lost at all as claimed in the false report by the online platform of a national daily. ...

Mar

2022

Second Niger Bridge To Be Ready By April - FG · As Gambari, Fashola, Ngige, others inspect Bridge, record milestone of walking from Asaba to Onitsha end of Project The Federal Government has assured that the Second Niger Bridge will be completed by April 2022 and would be commissioned by President Muhammadu Buhari before the end of the year. Describing the Second Niger Bridge as a national infrastructure with immense socio-economic benefits for the contiguous states and indeed the entire nation, the Chief of Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari , Prof. Ibrahim Gambari who in company with the Minister of Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN, his Labour and Productivity counterpart , Dr. Chris Ngige and the Managing Director of the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority, Uche Orji inspected the bridge on Tuesday March 8, 2022, said that the project has once again demonstrated the President’s commitment to the bridging of the infrastructure gap in the country. He said that the project being implemented by the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing is funded through the Presidential Infrastructure Development Fund in conjunction with the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA). On tolling of the asset when completed, Prof. Gambari said that the Federal Executive Council (FEC) had developed a National Tolling Policy for the entire nation and that whether or not the bridge would be tolled was not the key issue, adding that the priority of the government was to get the project delivered. He added that if the road was eventually tolled, there would be alternative route. “So, when this bridge is tolled, the old bridge is an alternative route, so you have the choice to make between speed and price,” he said. Speaking on the possibility of managing the bridge through a concession arrangement, the Minister of Works and Housing said the major responsibility of the government was to deliver the project in collaboration with NSIA saying, “Once we have finished, if they choose to concession, they can concession.” Fashola said that the Ministry has secured the approval of the Federal Executive Council on a National Tolling Policy that is of international standard. “Concessioning of projects is regulated by law. There are rules on how it is done. We are currently supervising the concession of 12 highways across Nigeria through the Highway Development and Management Initiative (HDMI) and the process is opened to the general public. “So, if we choose to concession this one, it will also be opened to the general public,” he said. He stated that the Chief of Staff to the President was on tour of the project to see that what the Ministry has been reporting is in consonance with what is happening on the Bridge so that he can brief Mr. President appropriately. The Minister said work on the bridge had reached appreciable level and appealed to the communities around the impressive Second Niger Bridge project to bear with the Federal Government as power supply was going to be interrupted for two weeks to put finishing touches to the project, adding that adequate notice would be given ahead when that would be done. The Federal Controller of Works in Anambra State and the Engineer Representative of the 2nd Niger Bridge, Engineer Ajani Adeyemo said that the existing Niger Bridge was built in 1965 noting that it has remained the crucial East-West link over the years. However, due to age and excessive axle load and the heavy traffic congestion arising from the enhanced economic activities in the South-East and South-South transport corridors, the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing initiated the second Niger Bridge which has attained 93 percent completion under the leadership of President Buhari. According to him, the bridge when completed would reduce the strain on the existing Niger Bridge, improve traffic flow, improve health, security and create opportunities for the host communities as well as Nigerians to improve their socio-economic activities. The highlight of the inspection visit was the historic walk of the Chief of Staff to Mr.President, the Honourable Ministers of Works and Housing, the Honourable Minister of Labour and Productivity and others including senior journalists from various media houses from the Onitsha end to the Asaba side of the Bridge. ...