The Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, has dismissed claims that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration is favoring the South over the North in the allocation of road projects.
Speaking to journalists at the State House in Abuja on Monday, after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided over by the President, Umahi emphasised that project approvals are based on memos submitted for consideration, not regional preferences.
“The President is committed to completing all the inherited projects. Most of the projects we come here to announce are inherited projects, and the President is committed to continuing them,” the Minister said.
Umahi was addressing concerns raised in the Senate where a motion had suggested that more projects were being approved for the South than the North.
“Let me correct that impression because I am not qualified to write to the Senate President to do so. The fact remains that it is the memo that comes to FEC that is approved,” Umahi said.
He explained that at times, the projects brought before FEC may favor a particular region but this does not reflect a deliberate skewing of allocations, explaining “sometimes, a memo can be in favor of a particular region or zone. Our briefing here should not be taken as if we are bringing projects in an inequitable form”.
To illustrate his point, Umahi highlighted that at Monday’s FEC meeting, a total of N507 billion was approved for the Abuja-Kano road section, while only N24 billion was allocated to projects in his Southeast region.
“If tomorrow, a big project is approved for the South-East, nobody should start saying it is unfair,” he noted.
Umahi further pointed out that many of the projects inherited from the previous administration were not evenly distributed across regions, yet Tinubu remained committed to completing them.
“If you go back to look at the inherited projects, they were not even equitably distributed by the last administration. But the President did not mind—he is continuing all of them”, he said.
The minister reaffirmed that Tinubu’s administration is focused on national development rather than regional politics, ensuring that infrastructure projects are executed based on necessity and existing commitments rather than political or ethnic considerations.
The FEC approved road infrastructure projects worth N733 billion across different regions of the country, as part of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s commitment to improving Nigeria’s road network.
Among the major projects approved is Section Two of the Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano Road, covering 164 kilometers, at a cost of N507 billion. The contract was awarded to InfoWest Nigeria Limited, the same company handling sections one and three of the project.
Another significant project is the construction of the Abakpa Flyover in Enugu State, which borders the 82 Division Army Barracks. The N24 billion project was awarded to CCECC to ease traffic congestion in the area.
“You have another one approved for the completion of the outstanding section of Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano road. This time, it is Section Two, which is 82 kilometers on both sides, making 164 kilometers in total, and it is awarded for N507 billion”, he said.
He further explained the significance of the Abakpa Flyover, saying, “A flyover is to be constructed to relieve traffic congestion there, and the contractor is CCECC, with the amount set at N24 billion.”
The FEC also approved N55 billion for the dualization of the Odukpani-Itu-Ikot Ekpene Road, which connects Cross River and Akwa Ibom States.
The contract was awarded to Decon Construction Nigeria Limited.
Umahi noted that the project was inherited from the previous administration and had been divided into three sections, handled by different contractors.
However, a disagreement with Julius Berger over cost escalation led to the termination and re-procurement of its section.
“When we came on board, there was a need to review all the projects. While the other two contractors—CCECC and Samatech—accepted the review, Julius Berger insisted on an increase to over N100 billion, which led to the termination and re-procurement of the contract,” Umahi explained.
He added that the project was competitively awarded for N55 billion, significantly lower than the N190 billion demanded by Julius Berger.
Another major approval was for the dualization of the Ibadan-Ilorin Road Section Two, located in Oyo State. The contract, worth N147 billion, was awarded to GRVe.
Umahi highlighted that the project would utilize reinforced concrete pavement for enhanced durability, aligning with the Tinubu administration’s push for long-lasting road infrastructure.
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