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.

Aug

2020

Fashola Charges Vice Chancellors on the Use of Data to Aid National Development The Honourable Minister of Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola SAN has charged the Vice Chancellors in Nigeria Universities to channel the data in their confines to guide government, the business community and the citizenry on national development. Fashola gave the charge while granting audience to the Association of Vice Chancellors of Nigerian Universities, who paid him a courtesy visit today in his office. The Minister said, “The world is chasing data, collating data, this data is sitting in our Universities, almost every lecturer ask students to write one research paper or the other. We can use this data in a useful form, to inform our government, to inform businessmen, to inform the society”. He added that for instance such information could be used in the analysis of a local government with a view to yielding positive results. In response to the call for his support by the Vice Chancellors, he said, “In terms of collaborative relationship on infrastructure, you can take my cooperation for granted”. Fashola stated that the Ministry of Works and Housing had intervened in the building of roads in 44 tertiary institutions in the country under this administration but lamented that when people criticize government on the state of roads no University came to inform the public on those interventions. The Minister who described the University as an investment into the future urged the Vice Chancellors to be discreet in the award of honourary degrees which he described as very important building blocks that should be given to only deserving people and not for those whose achievement is just the occupation of a political office. He said this would encourage the youth to work harder while charging honourary degree holders to bring their impact to bear in the development of the universities. Fashola also advised them to bring Professors together to write an acceptable version of the Nigerian history that will be taught in schools like it was done in some other climes. Speaking earlier, Secretary General of the Association and leader of the delegation, Professor Yakubu Aboki Ochefu informed the Minister that the Association which was established in 1962 is a platform for sharing ideas and engaging Nigerians on issues that affect the Nigerian universities. He added that the organization which had the universities of Ibadan, Lagos, Ife, Nsukka and Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria at inception now has 174 universities. Professor Ochefu who praised the Minister for his commitment to road construction and maintenance, expressed gratitude to him for the intervention of his Ministry in the building of internal road in 44 tertiary institutions across Nigeria. He informed Fashola that they were in the Ministry to seek his cooperation in their plan to produce a compendium on the forthcoming celebration of the 60th anniversary of their association in Nigeria, and his support to tackle the problems facing Nigerian universities. Professor Ochefu said that the group decided to seek partnership with the Minister to share experience in view of the pivotal role he played in the development ofLagos State university when he was the Governor of Lagos State. Present an the occasion were the Minister of State for Works and Housing, Engr. Abubakar D. Aliyu, [FNSE], the Director overseeing the office of the Permanent Secretary, Engr. Yemi Oguntominiyi and other Directors of the Ministry. ...

Jul

2020

Buhari’s Commitment to Infrastructure is Monumental, Unprecedented – Fashola The Honourable Minister of Works and Housing Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN has described the commitment of the Buhari led Administration to Infrastructure development as monumental and unprecedented. The Minister made this description while responding to questions on Radio Nigeria phone-in programme “Have your say” this morning. Fashola hinged his commendation on the Infrastructural transformation work being implemented in the various sectors of the economy such as works and Housing, Transportation, Digital communication and economy, adding that if these were done in the past, the situation of the economy of the country would not have been as bad as it is now. While responding to the question on why many Federal roads were still in bad condition and why it was taking time to be completed, Fashola attributed it to procurement process, limited resources and the process of road construction. Citing an example of the Abuja - Lokoja road, he said the road which is about 300kilometre long was being expanded from 2 lanes to 4 lanes, which means that the entire work on that road is about 1200 kilometres. He added that a section of the road had been completed remaining only the section from Kotonkarfe to Lokoja, “some section have been completed, what is remaining is from Koton Karfe to Lokoja, which we are trying to finish”, he said. Fashola mentioned Lagos -Ibadan, Enugu –Port Harcout, Kano –Maiduguri, Ekpoma –lokoja roads among those that have been partially completed. The Minister said most of the roads were being reconstructed as some of them were impassable before now, citing Benin- Ore - Shagamu, Enugu –Port Harcourt roads. He urged Nigerians to be patient with the government considering the fact that these bad roads which were left undone by the previous administration when oil was selling at $140 per barrel are now being reconstructed and rehabilitated by the Buhari Administration at a time that oil price per barrel is less than 50 dollars. The Minister who disclosed the plan to finish 22 roads between 2020 and 2022 explained that the Federal Government was currently concentrating on Federal roads which are interconnecting states. “Our roads are those that connect state to state. We are focusing on them, it is when we have done these key roads that we will concentrate on others”, he said. On the housing sector, The Minister who was asked why some houses that had been completed by the Federal Government were yet to be allocated, said, “Some of the houses have been completed but there is still a lot to be done. In some cases we have not finished electrical connection to public power, we have not finished internal road work, there have been cases of theft and pilfering and we are doing replacement”. Fashola revealed that a digital framework was been worked out to ensure that application is done online to avoid undue influence from anyone. He also said that Federal Government was considering giving some allocations to State Governments for onward allocation to their indigenes since the States donated the land. He called on State Government and the Private sector to complement the effort of the Federal Government in the provision of houses to the people in overcoming the housing deficit. ...

Jul

2020

FG Commences Partial Closure of Third Mainland Bridge for Repairs and Restoration ….Lists alternative routes and calls for patience and understating of road users The Federal Government has announced the partial closure of the Third Mainland Bridge in Lagos, Nigeria, from Friday July 24, 2020 to January 24, 2021 for repairs. The Federal Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Raji Fashola announced this on Tuesday during a Press briefing to the nation on Government’s plans of assuaging the pains the closure would cause the over 132,702 light and vehicles that ply that route on a daily basis. Fashola during the Press briefing also announced alternatives routes: Costain, Ebute-Metta and Ijora as road users could use during the period of the repair. He also called for patience and understanding of road users adding that it was well-meaning Nigerians who drew the attention of the government to the bridge through comments and videos, pointing out that the maintenance was a direct response to those calls which was what governance is all about. Fashola explained: “The Bridge is 11.8km; we are closing 3.5km so it is a partial and not a total closure.” He said that the Third Mainland Bridge was conceived in 1970 as a result of rapid modernisation of Lagos and that the construction work of the bridge spanned over three decades and was done during the oil boom, pointing out that the need for maintenance of the bridge was inherited by the current administration. According to Fashola, the Federal Government had so far intervened on thirty–seven bridges across the country, maintaining that Lagos has the highest number of bridges. He further said that the work on the Lagos Mainland Bridge is a collaborative effort between the Federal and Lagos State Governments. He commended the commitment of the present administration under President Muhammadu Buhari in the maintenance of the nation’s infrastructure nationwide. Acknowledging the pains the closure may cause, Fashola called road users to be patient as the construction works last. “The best will happen if we all show understanding, restraint and patience, because we will have a better and safer bridge in a short while to come,”he said. In his presentation, the Director of Highways Bridges and Design, Engr. Emmanuel Adeoye stated that the Third Mainland Bridge which is about 11.8 km long links Lagos Island to the Mainland and it is the busiest bridge in Nigeria with a daily average of traffic count of 132,702. Explaining further, he stated that the bridge provided the most direct route for commercial and industrial traffic leaving Lagos Island to other parts of the country and vice versa, pointing out that, it was necessary to always ensure regular maintenance to keep it in a serviceable state. “The periodic maintenance of the bridge was carried out in 2008, 2012, 2018 respectively and the present maintenance was a continuation of the process” he said On his part, the Director of Highways South-West, Engr. Adedamola Kuti said that the bridge would be partially closed for six months and that the partial closure would be in two phases to ensure operational efficiency. He said alternative routes have been provided to ease traffic flow during the maintenance work on the bridge. Accordingly, he explained that the two phases would be sub-divided into morning and afternoon traffic to minimize disruption of traffic during peak hours which are mainly from the Mainland to the Island in the morning and a return traffic in the evening from the Mainland to Island. He further disclosed that during the phase one, the Mainland bound carriage way would be partially closed to traffic from Adeniji-Adele up to the Ebute-Meta axis and that of phase two, the partial closure would be from the Ebute-Meta axis of the Island bound carriage way to the Adeniji-Adele axis. Corps Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Commission, Boboye Oyeyemi, who also spoke during the briefing said that “The partial closure has therefore placed the Corps in a position to provide strategic plan that will ameliorate the envisioned traffic situation the closure is certain to throw up,” He said the Corps has deployed massive personnel and logistics to guide and administer road traffic within the six months of the closure, adding that the Corps had commenced publicizing alternative routes to the teeming road users. ...