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.

Feb

2018

“STRIKE MUST BE A LAST RESORT” - FASHOLA The Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola has expressed that industrial actions such as strike should be the last resort and not the first option when trying to resolve problematic situations or issues. Fashola stated this at a meeting with the leadership of the Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO) and the Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD), branch of NUPENG when the former paid him a courtesy visit on Thursday, February 1st, 2018 at the Ministry conference room. He revealed that the Tatabu Bridge will be completed before the end of the year but however denied corrupt practices in road execution as alleged, saying that the “solution to bad roads is a long process” while requesting that evidence and proof of corrupt practices concerning the sector should be brought forward for investigation. The National President of NARTO, Dr. Kassim Bataiya, earlier in his speech commended the Federal Government under the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari and particularly applauded the Ministry for its commitment and performance thus far. Dr. Bataiya noted that the present administration is making effort to reverse the situation of bad roads by approving the rehabilitation, dualisation, construction and re-construction of several Federal highways across the six geo-political zones. While enumerating the causes of road failure to poor design and construction; poor maintenance; use of low quality materials, heavy traffic and so on, the association suggested both short and long terms recommendations such as banning the importation of 60,000-litre capacity tanks into the country, the use of rail transport for the movement of heavy equipment, FERMA to be directed towards ensuring routine maintenance are carried out on regular basis, dumping of refuse, as well as hawking to be prohibited amongst others. The Association further appealed to government ‘to take cognizance of the non-availability of trucks”, and “think of how to provide enough trucks to transport the extra load that will be generated due to the application of the axle load policy. It stated that the total number of active trucks in the country is not more than 20,000. A presentation of update and work done so far on Federal roads and bridges was done by the Director, HighWays Planning and Development, Chukwunwike Ogbonna Uzo, who explained that the ministry had already planned to meet with all stakeholders in the sector in other to wholistically fashion out the way forward for the sector. Also in attendance at the meeting was the Minister of State I, Ministry of Power, Works and Housing, Honourable Mustapha Baba Shehuri and relevant Directors of the Ministry. ...

Feb

2018

FG To Complete Tatabu Bridge Reconstruction In 2018 The Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola recently said that the reconstruction work on Tatabu bridge along Mokwa-Jebba road would be completed before the end of 2018. Fashola said this in Abuja when a delegation from the Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO) and Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) paid him a courtesy visit. He said the contractor handling the project was already on site, adding that the arrangement by the Federal Government when the bridge collapsed was to have a temporary road for motorists. “When I first came on that road, from llorin to Jebba, your people were there for two weeks, they could not move but as I speak to you, that side has improved. “The contractor has created a temporary road, while the reconstruction work on the bridge is ongoing and we cannot complete the project in 14 days even with all the resources available,” he said. He said plans had been concluded in the ministry to have a workshop with members of NARTO and PTD on ways to make Nigerian roads safe and durable. The minister said President Muhammadu Buhari had approved that certain vehicles would be restricted from being loaded beyond a certain point in ports and NNPC depots. According to him, before we will start the implementation, we thought we should have a workshop with you so that you will know what we want to do. Dr Kassim Bataiya, the President of NARTO and leader of the delegation, commended the minister for his efforts in addressing the problems of decaying infrastructure in the country. He said several reasons account for the failure of roads in the country but observed that the Federal Government was particularly pointing accusing fingers on overloading of trucks. “While agreeing that overloading is one of the causes, we have consistently maintained that standards in road design, materials, construction and supervision are compromised,” he said. He pledged the commitment of NARTO and PTD to cooperate with the Federal Government to ensure sanity, safety and security on Nigerian roads. Source: (NAN) ...

Jan

2018

Tambuwal Commissions 80KWp Solar Electricity Project Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal of Sokoto State has commissioned the 80KWp solar mini – grid electricity project which will provide uninterrupted power supply to Kurudla Village in Gudu Local Government Area of Sokoto State on Friday 19th January, 2018. Tambuwal said more than 500 households would benefit from clean electricity supply. In his words, he said “today’s event marks the beginning of a great collaborative effort towards ensuring sustainable growth through renewable energy sector development. It has now become absolutely necessary to take advantage of the ongoing renewable energy effort to ensure self – sufficiency in energy for economic development”. He added that “mini – grid powered by renewable sources is the best option for us to expand electricity access in the rural areas where the national grid is not available”. The governor used the occasion and appealed to the community leaders and residents to ensure adequate security of the equipment and personnel handling the project, while disclosing that the project is co – funded by the European Union, and jointly implemented by the Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Housing and the German International Development Agency, Deutsche Geseuschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) through the Nigerian Energy Support Programme (NESP) which partnered with the Sokoto State Government and a private investor, GoSolar Africa Energy Limited to develop the project. Also speaking at the occasion, the Minister of State II, Power, Works and Housing, Suleiman Hassan Zarma, expressed the readiness of the Buhari’s led administration to work with development partners and the private sector on energy solutions so that those at the remote and underserved rural communities would also have access to reliable and sustainable electricity supply at affordable prices. To this effect, the Minister said “in May 2016, the Federal government initiated the Road map of Incremental, Steady and Uninterrupted Power Supply and adopted the policy of diversifying the Nigerian Energy Mix”. Adding that the Federal government have in the last two years developed several policies and action plans aimed at developing our renewable energy resources which include: the National Renewable Energy Action Plans (NREAP) and Sustainable Energy for All (SE4ALL) action agenda in line with the Federal government’s commitment to the Paris Agreement and United Nation Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) and particularly to serve as implementation tool for the National Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (NREEEP) approved by the Federal Executive Council ( FEC) IN 2015. He said “Federal government have also recently developed a Power Sector Recovery Plan (PSRP) which is aimed at addressing some of the core problems facing the power industry”. Earlier, the German Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Dietmar Kreusel, had expressed optimism that the introduction of solar mini grid would expand access to electricity not just in Kurudla, but in other areas of the country. In a similar vein, the European Union Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Ketil Karlsen, said that over 1.5 billion people globally lacked access to cheap, affordable and steady electricity, which Nigeria falls into. In his part, the country’s representative of a private firm, GoSolar Africa Energy Limited, Mr. Femi Oye said the provision of the solar project has led to improved life of the people of Kurudla community through improved education, water and jobs as a lot of economic activities such as millers, iron benders as well as shops and saloons have started springing up in the area. ...