Federal Ministry of Works

Jul

2026

LATEST PRESS

MINISTER UMAHI: LAGOS–CALABAR COASTAL HIGHWAY DESIGNED TO MITIGATE, NOT CAUSE FLOODING

The Honourable Minister of Works, Engr. David Umahi, CON, FNSE, FNATE, has dismissed claims that the Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway is responsible for flooding in parts of Lagos. He insisted that the project is designed to improve drainage and facilitate the evacuation of floodwaters from shoreline communities.

Speaking during an on-the-spot assessment of the completed and ongoing sections of the Coastal Highway with Members of the National Assembly, Senior Special Assistants to the President (SSAs-P), Officials of the Federal Ministry of Environment and the media, he explained that the Ministry had earlier held discussions with Officials of the Lagos State Government on the need for dredging and other environmental mitigation measures to address flooding in the affected areas.

The Minister attributed the persistent flooding largely to *indiscriminate dumping of refuse, blockage of drainage channels and manholes, and gross violations of environmental regulations* by some residents. He stressed that the highway itself is not the cause of flooding but rather part of its long-term solution.

_"You can see people blocking manholes and creating hazards to the environment. Many complaints about flooding are caused by human activities, not the road project,"_ the Minister emphasised.

Engr. Umahi assured stakeholders that the Federal Government, in collaboration with the Lagos State Government, is implementing *environmental remediation measures*, including dredging, drainage improvement, and strict enforcement of the approved “Right of Way.” He warned that structures obstructing drainage channels or violating the approved setbacks would be removed.

According to the Minister, the Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway incorporates *modern engineering features*, including adequate culverts, drainage systems, and embankments designed to manage stormwaters effectively. He further explained that the project complements other flood-control interventions such as those around the *Aqua Atlantic development and Oshodi*.

Engr. Umahi informed that the visit is coming at the instance of the directive of *President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR*, whose administration remains committed to protecting lives, properties, and critical infrastructure, while promoting sustainable development.

The Minister announced that a *Stakeholders' Engagement* involving the Senate and House Committees on Works, the Federal Ministry of Environment, Office of the Surveyor General of the Federation, Lagos State Government, representatives of concerned Associations of Landlords and other relevant Government Agencies, is scheduled for today, Tuesday, 7 July, 2026. The engagement aims to address environmental concerns, step up awareness campaigns on environmentally friendly practices and the dangers of the unfriendly ones, as well as deepen collaborative efforts in flood management.

He commended *Members of the National Assembly, the Governor of Lagos State, the Minister of Environment, SSAs-P (Community Engagement), Staff of the Ministry, and Hitech Construction Company, and other stakeholders* for their cooperation and assured residents that blocked drainage channels and refuse dumps along the project corridor would be cleared.

The *SSAP on Community Engagement, South West, Moremi Ojudu,* called for collective responsibility in addressing environmental and human factors, emphasising the President's commitment to environmental sustainability. The *Director of Environmental Impact Assessment,* Federal Ministry of Environment, highlighted the growing impact of climate change and the unique environmental challenges facing Lagos. On the Environmental Impact Assessment of the Project, she confirmed that approval was given before its commencement.

Commenting, the Minority Whip of the Senate, Sen. Onyekachi Nwaebonyi stated *the history of flooding in Lagos is as old as the city itself, and we have seen, as a Parliament, that the reason for the flooding is not the Coastal Highway.”*He advised that the opinions of environmental experts be adhered to in finding remedial and preventative solutions to a global problem.

In their separate remarks, the *Chairman of the Senate Committee on Works, Senator Allwell Onyesoh*, and the *Chairman of the House Committee on Works, Hon. Akin Alabi* commended the Minister's swift response to Mr. President's directive. They observed that flooding existed before the commencement of the Coastal Highway, ascribing it to the effects of global warming, requiring proactive solutions.

To further safeguard the completed sections of the Highway, the Minister directed the *Federal Controller of Works, Lagos State, Engr. Olufemi Dare* to ensure full compliance with environmental safety standards. He also announced the recruitment of *40 personnel — 20 for day duty and 20 for night* — to monitor the highway, prevent stealing and vandalisation of road furniture, and discourage illegal dumping of refuse.

Engr. Umahi concluded by guaranteeing residents along the alignment that all environmental concerns raised during the inspection would continue to receive prompt attention through sustained stakeholder engagement and effective mitigation measures.

Feb

2025

Minister Applauds FERMA Staff for Determination and Resilience The Minister of State for Works, Muhammad Bello Goronyo, Esq has complimented the determination and resilience of the management and staff of the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA) in the discharge of their responsibilities. He stated this on Tuesday, 18th February, 2025, while addressing staff of the Agency in Lafia, headquarters of the North Central Zone, during a one-day familiarisation visit and inspection of ongoing works on the Keffi-Gitata-Shendam/Plateau State Border road in Nasarawa State. Goronyo acknowledged the resourcefulness of the FERMA’s personnel in fixing Nigeria's roads despite the inadequacy of annual budgetary allocations. He disclosed that pressures are being mounted on the Agency now, more than ever, from various quarters to maintain the roads despite the mergre resources. Goronyo cited as an example the Lokoja - Abuja Dual Carriageway, sections of which are in bad shape, prolonging travel time from 1 hour 30 minutes to 4 hours. In contrast, the Minister revealed that his journey from Abuja to Lafia was smooth, as well as joyful due to the good road. He said "This is hope being renewed and everybody must be on their toes. The President is determined to move the nation forward and we must support him to actualise his vision and mission." The Minister, who emphasised the determination of the Ministry of Works to resolve all the challenges being faced by the staff, stressed that they should ensure they sensitize the public against packing and abandoning vehicles, especially trucks on the roads. He also called on the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) to support the Ministry’s efforts by safeguarding Federal roads across the country. He informed them that the Managing Director/CEO is addressing issues related to their welfare, while urging them to reciprocate the gesture by ensuring that the Agency continues to deliver on its mandate. The Minister added that the stakeholders across the country have been commending the Agency for their dedication and patriotism in maintaining Nigerian roads despite challenges of funding and security in some parts of the country. He noted that the Government alone cannot maintain all the roads due to the high level of deterioration, calling for a collective effort to ensure safer and motorable highways. Goronyo urged the road users, as well as benefiting communities to protect the infrastructure by not digging holes or creating demarcations. He added that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR is ready and determined to ensure that all Nigerian roads are in good conditions for improved economy and assets. The Minister also reiterated the Federal Government's resolve to enhance road maintenance and urged all stakeholders to support the administration's initiatives aimed at achieving safe and durable roads, nationwide. Earlier in his remarks, the Managing Director/CEO, FERMA, Engr. Chukwuemeka Agbasiuu, Ph.d expressed his satisfaction with the progress of the rehabilitation projects in Nasarawa State. He reaffirmed the Agency's commitment to delivering high-quality roads and enhancing travel experience, in line with President Tinubu's Renewed Hope Agenda. Engr. Agbasi also guaranteed field workers training and retraining to equip them with 21st-century construction trends. He added that despite issues of insecurity in the North Central zone, they should not relent in their collective efforts to maintain Nigerian roads. He stated that FERMA is doing its best despite inadequate funding, stressing that it will soon take delivery of brand-new equipment, while the grounded ones would be repaired and put into use. Also, in his opening remarks, the Zonal Head of North Central II, covering Benue, Plateau, Taraba and Nasarawa States, Engr Halilu Umama highlighted the strategic importance of the region as a vital link between Northern and Southern Nigeria. He noted that many projects in the zone are being executed through direct labour between 2022 to 2024 and he outlined major challenges including the high costs of construction materials, equipment rental, low budgetary allocations, and road abuses such as the erection of illegal speed breakers and encroachments on Federal highways. In his Closing Remarks, the Federal Roads Maintenance Engineer for Nasarawa State, Engr. Aliu Muhammad voiced gratitude for the progress made in the past seven (7) months. He commended the leadership of the Ministry and that of FERMA for their commitment to improving road infrastructure and ensuring better conditions for field workers. ...

Feb

2025

Over 35,000 Kilometres of Federal Roads Need Alternative Funding - Goronyo The Minister of State for Works, Muhammad Bello Goronyo, Esq has noted that over 35,000 kilometres of the Federal Government road network across Nigeria could not be funded through Annual Budgets alone, hence the need to source for alternative funding outside the government’s coffers. Goronyo stated this on Monday, 17th February, 2025, while addressing the Management and Staff of the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA), Kogi State Field Office at Lokoja during a maiden visit alongside the MD/CEO, Engr Chukwumeka Agbasi. He reaffirmed that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration is determined to fix all the roads to ensure a drastic reduction in the level of unemployment, rate of crimes, and insecurity. According to him, " Let me commend President Tinubu, GCFR for his determination. I have never seen a President so committed to sustaining physical assets nationwide. The administration gives priority to various road projects scattered across the country. This shows that he is a patriotic Nigerian. He is undertaking these projects so that our economy can be improved, and the rate of unemployment, poverty, and crimes will be reduced. We are seeing the Super Highways from Ilelah to Sokoto to Badagry and another from Lagos to Calabar." Goronyo, who commended the staff of FERMA for their resilience and hard work over the years, noted that despite insecurity, and inadequate funding, Nigerians have been commending them for their excellent work. He urged them to bear with the Ministry of Works over their entitlements, disclosing that their requests for adjustment and increment in consequential salaries have been forwarded to the Salaries, Income, and Wages Commission for consideration and approval. Speaking further on funding for the maintenance of roads, Goronyo stressed that "about 35,000 kilometres of roads cannot be funded and maintained overnight. We have to look for alternative sources of funding so that we can continue to maintain our physical assets, which are the roads. We have to create new ways of funding and new alternatives. He assured that the Government is focused on ensuring that projects are completed in a timely and efficient manner with robust oversight and contractors’ compliance. He also added "I am calling on all of you to support us to ensure that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu succeeds in his mandate to deliver on the 8-point Renewed Hope Agenda. We must put Nigeria first before our interests. Let us fix our roads, we must think positively." Earlier, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (MD/CEO) of FERMA, Engineer Chukwumeka Agbasi commended the Ministry of Works for its determination to ensure that the 8-point agenda of President Tinubu are realised, especially road projects across the country. He informed the Staff that before the end of the year, there would be an increment in their salaries and appealed to them to continue to support and partner with the Ministry to achieve their targeted goals. In his remarks, Engineer Muktar Abdurahim, the Officer in charge of the Kogi Field Office, informed the Minister that the office has thirty-seven (37) staff with 25 permanent and twelve (12) casual workers. He disclosed that Kogi State has sixteen (16) Federal Government roads with a total of 1,263 kilometres, emphasising that the 2024 nationwide flood incident did not affect any of the roads in the state. Engr. Abdulrahim revealed that out of six (6) roads under construction in the state, five (5) have been successfully executed, while one (1) is at 60% completion. He informed the Minister that they are facing challenges such as insecurity, and hyperinflation on the cost of construction materials, amongst others. Furthermore, the Director, North Central Zone I, Engr Omotayo Awodun commended the Federal Government’s commitment to fixing all the Federal roads across Nigeria, especially those in his zone, he also applauded the leadership style of the Honourable Minister of Works for his innovation, where new techniques and stricter supervision are being enforced, like what we are witnessing, today. ...

Jan

2025

INFOQUEST NIG LTD WAS NEVER AWARDED ANY CONTRACT ON ABUJA- KADUNA ROAD AS FALSELY AND MALICIOUSLY REPORTED IN A PUBLICATION OF DAILY TRUST NEWSPAPERS OF 21/01/2025. -DAILY TRUST TO RENDER UNRESERVED APOLOGY TO FEDERAL MINISTRY OF WORKS FOR UNJUSTIFIABLE FALSEHOOD The Honourable Minister of Works, His Excellency, Sen. Nweze David Umahi CON has rebutted in strong terms the unwarranted, false, misleading, and damaging report published in Daily Trust Newspapers of 21st January 2025, which falsely represented the Federal Ministry of Works as having awarded a section of Abuja-Kaduna-Kano road dualization to Infoquest Nigeria Ltd. In a press conference held on 21st January 2025 at the Conference Hall of the Honourable Minister of Works and attended by the Honourable Minister of State for Works, Rt. Hon. Barr. Mohammed Bello Goronyo, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Works, Engr. Folunso O. Adebiyi and key directors of the Ministry, the Honourable Minister, described as mischievous, insensitively misleading and injurious the statement credited to him in the said publication, where he was wrongly quoted to have said that Infoquest Nigeria Ltd secured a "No objection" of N252.89 billion from the Bureau of Public Procurement ( BPP) for the rehabilitation of a section Abuja- Kaduna- Zaria-Kano road and where they described the Ministry as having awarded the said contract to an obscure company. He made it clear that the Ministry had no business relationship with Infoquest Nigeria Ltd. He further made it known that the company that has a contractual relationship with the Ministry on the said project is Infiouest International Limited and that the company is corporately active and is absolutely in compliance with all legal requirements and regulations set by the Companies and Allied Matters Act. He berated the mischief created by the publication as a deliberate orchestration by a cartel to malign the Ministry, undermine the efforts of the Renewed Hope administration in revolutionizing road infrastructure development and demarket the company that has proven capacity in road construction. He demanded from Daily Trust Newspapers a public apology to the Federal Ministry of Works to be published in at least 5 national dailies for unjustifiably publishing falsehood against the Ministry of Works. The Honourable Minister also alluded to the mischiefs and deliberate misrepresentation of facts contained in the sponsored publications made in several national dailies by Julius Berger Plc recently on the reason why they reneged in their contractual obligations in respect of the section of Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano road they were handling before it was determined. He wondered why the coordinated onslaught of falsehood, blackmail, gangup by adversaries to the policy of government just because of the Ministry's insistence on a new order of value for money, quality assurance and best practices in project pricing and execution. He urged the public and the press to join in this desirable fight against national sabotage by some contractors. In his remarks, the Honourable Minister of State for Works said he was delighted by the proactiveness and resoluteness shown by the Ministry in decapitating the intentions of those who made the false publication against the Ministry which according to him was intended to distract the Ministry and undermine its confidence before Nigerians. He called on the media operators not to allow themselves to be used by the fifth columnists to publish unfounded reports to undermine the Renewed Hope agenda but should always crosscheck their information with the appropriate authority so as to let out only the truth to the public. In his vote of thanks, the Permanent Secretary described the press briefing as thoughtful and timely. He harped on the importance of development journalism and urged the media to always uphold the truth in their professional duties of information dissemination rather than allow themselves to be used as a tool in the hands of enemies of our national development. ...

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Nov

2025

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Sep

2021

2023 Elections: Fashola Distances Self from The Antics of Unsolicited Support Groups

The Media Office of the Hon. Minister of Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, SAN, has urged well-meaning people to disregard the invitation of some Groups, operating under The Nigeria Project 2023, purportedly to the inauguration of a Support Group for the Minister and the Governor of Borno State over the 2023 elections.

The social media was awash at the weekend with a poster from the Group allegedly presenting the Honorable Minister and the Governor of Borno State, Prof. Babagana Zulum as Presidential and Vice-Presidential candidates respectively of an unnamed political party.

Ordinarily, the poster and the various social media reports almost instantly orchestrated on its account would have been ignored as the handwork of mischief makers. However, it became necessary to issue this disclaimer for two key reasons.

The first of such was to answer with a strong negative to the numerous inquiries from right thinking and well-meaning Nigerians on whether the Honorable Minister had been contacted or if the Groups had his consent in issuing the invitation.

Without equivocation, no individual or Group has contacted the Honorable Minister for or on behalf of The Nigeria Project 2023. As Honorable Minister, Mr Fashola is currently focused on leading his dedicated Team in the Ministry of Works and Housing to deliver on the mandate of President Muhammadu Buhari for an expanded and upgraded road transport infrastructure; and affordable Housing nationwide in order to achieve economic growth and prosperity for the citizenry.

Secondly, is the fact that entities unknown to a political party cannot present candidates on behalf of such a political party. As a ranking and loyal member of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), the individual and groups cited as promoters of The Nigeria Project 2023 are unknown to the APC and the Honorable Minister.

Against the backdrop of the foregoing, the Honorable Minister of Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola SAN urges members of the public to be wary of the antics of unsolicited individuals and Support Groups whose real intentions remain questionable. Every support possible should be given to the efforts of the current administration under the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari to deliver a better nation for all.

SPEECHES

Nov

2019

Road Infrastructure, A Necessary Factor for Nigeria’s Unity : Mohammed Bukar

The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Works and Housing, Mohammed Bukar has disclosed that road infrastructure was a necessary factor for the unity of our geographically vast and culturally heterogeneous nation, Nigeria.

He made the disclosure today at the ongoing meeting of Federal and State Permanent Secretaries at the 25th National Council on Works in Calabar Cross River State. The theme of the Council Meeting is ‘’ Infrastructure as the pathway for prosperity’’ which according to him was ‘’Apt and deliberately chosen to address issues of job creation , poverty alleviation and wealth creation.” Bukar who was ably represented by the Director Highways, Planning and Development, Engr, Chibike Uzo maintained that ‘’ In spite of the present improvement in GDP growth , road infrastructure deficit and its attendant adverse effect on the transport sector remained a major impediment to future economic prosperity of Nigeria , especially in the area of food supply, employment generation and wealth creation.

The Permanent Secretary assured Nigerians that his Ministry was committed to integrating and developing Nigerian roads infrastructure through the completion of projects with positive impact capable of providing more conducive environment for local and foreign investments.

While welcoming all Stakeholders to the Council meant to look at the issues raised during the Technical Meeting which took place on Monday_ Tuesday(25th_26th November, 2019), Bukar expressed immeasurable gratitude to the Government and good people of Cross River State, especially, the Executive Governor, His Excellency, Prof, Ben. Ayade for providing the conducive environment for stakeholders in the Works Sector to deliberate on the myriad of infrastructure challenges in Nigeria.

In her address, the Permanent Secretary, Cross River State Ministry of Works, Dr. ( Mrs) Ihort Achu , commended the Directors from various MDAs for patiently brainstorming on issues of roads infrastructure which according to her were crucial to the economic development of Cross River State in particular and Nigeria in general. Achu happily welcomed the Permanent Secretaries from the 36 States of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory and enjoined them to feel at home and enjoy the hospitality of Cross River State.