By Joy Onu
The Minister of Works, David Umahi, has highlighted the long-term economic impact of major federal road projects being implemented under the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, describing them as strategic investments designed to strengthen national connectivity and support economic growth.
Umahi spoke during an inspection of ongoing federal road projects in Afikpo, Ebonyi State, where he outlined the government’s infrastructure agenda and progress on several projects across the South-East region.
According to the minister, the administration’s flagship highway initiatives are being constructed with reinforced concrete technology, marking a shift from conventional asphalt roads and aimed at ensuring greater durability and reduced maintenance costs.
He explained that four major legacy road projects being executed by the Federal Government are designed to interconnect across different regions of the country and improve transportation networks critical for commerce and development.
Umahi cited the ongoing Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway as one of the most ambitious infrastructure initiatives of the administration, noting that private investors have already shown interest in participating in toll operations along sections of the highway.
During the inspection, the minister also provided updates on a road project being executed under the Dangote Tax Credit Scheme linking Afikpo, Uturu and Okigwe, explaining that the project was restructured due to rising construction costs.
Under the revised plan, the project will deliver a 12-metre-wide reinforced concrete carriageway covering about 69 kilometres, while maintaining the original contract value. The project is being executed by HiTech Construction Company, which is also involved in major projects such as the Lagos–Badagry Expressway.
Umahi added that the proposed Calabar–Abuja highway corridor forms part of a broader national infrastructure strategy aimed at strengthening connectivity between southern and northern Nigeria, noting that the project will pass through several states before terminating in Abuja.
