By Joy Onu, Abuja
The Federal Government has commissioned completed emergency road projects and inspected ongoing highway works in Plateau State as part of efforts to restore connectivity and boost economic activities across local communities.
According to a statement issued on Sunday, February 8, 2026, by Mohammed A. Ahmed, Director, Information and Public Relations at the Federal Ministry of Works, the exercise formed part of the Ministry’s North Central media tour. The tour took journalists to key project sites, including sections of the Lafia–Shendam Road and the Babban Lamba–Sharram Road, to assess completed emergency interventions and ongoing strategic works under the administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
Officials explained that the interventions were necessitated by years of infrastructure decay and abandoned projects inherited from previous administrations. They said over 2,000 federal road projects were ongoing nationwide when the government assumed office in May 2023, with many stalled due to funding shortfalls and structural failures.
To address the situation, the Federal Government approved 260 emergency road projects across the country, focusing on critically failed and hazardous sections to restore access, improve safety, and ease the movement of goods and people.
In Plateau State, several completed projects were commissioned on behalf of the Minister of Works, Senator Engr. David Umahi, by the Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Plateau State Council, Mrs. Ayiku Pwaspo. She said the government was determined to ensure that road projects deliver tangible benefits to citizens rather than remain abandoned.
“Quality road infrastructure is a foundation for development,” Mrs. Pwaspo said, noting that improved access supports economic growth, social integration, and livelihoods.
Providing technical details, the Federal Controller of Works in Plateau State, Engr. Jibril Shua’ibu, said a key emergency intervention involved the repair of embankment washouts at a culvert and bridge along the Shendam–Lafia Road at Kwande. He said the damaged sections had previously disrupted traffic and posed safety risks to road users.
According to him, the project, executed at a cost of ₦824 million, commenced in 2024 and was completed within a few months, restoring uninterrupted traffic flow. He added that additional works were carried out at another location along the Lafia–Shendam Road to address erosion and structural failure, including the construction of a double-cell box culvert beside an existing one and asphalt overlay works.
During the media visit to an ongoing 16-kilometre construction project from the Lafia–Shendam junction through Poeship to Ngotuguut communities, Engr. Shua’ibu said the road, awarded to Triacta Construction Company at about ₦16 billion, has reached over 50 per cent completion. He added that procurement is underway for an additional seven-kilometre section considered critical to improving rural access. Project Manager, Mr. Nakhle Abou Yaounde, told journalists that the contractor remains committed to delivering the project in line with approved standards and timelines.
Community representatives expressed optimism over the projects’ impact. The Community Liaison Officer, Pharmacist Senpet Yitnoe, described the Lafia–Shendam Junction–Poeship–Ngotuguut Road as transformative, citing improved access to farms, schools, and markets, and assured of continued community support.
The tour also included an inspection of the Babban Lamba–Sharram Road, a 44.625-kilometre corridor linking several communities in Plateau State. Engr. Shua’ibu said although the project was initially conceived as a rehabilitation exercise, its scope now involves the construction of a new flexible pavement with earthworks, sub-base, stone base layers, and drainage structures.
He said the project, awarded in 2018, suffered delays due to funding challenges but has regained momentum following renewed government intervention, with construction currently active from the Sharram axis using multiple teams.
Project Coordinator for Ric Rock Construction (Nigeria) Limited, Engr. Kenneth, said the road would significantly reduce travel time between communities, cutting journeys from nearly two hours to about 20 minutes, while the Site Agent, Engr. Augustine Imiere, said the project would open up markets, enhance business opportunities, and improve socio-economic activities across the corridor.
