By Joy Onu
The Federal Government has reiterated its commitment to the timely delivery of quality federal road projects in Katsina State, assuring residents that ongoing works are being executed in line with approved standards.
The assurance was given on Friday during a national media tour of ongoing and completed federal road projects across the state, organised under the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Speaking to journalists at various project sites, the Federal Controller of Works in Katsina State, Engr. Idris Matinja, said key projects — including the Ungwan Iliya Bagudu–Kwantakaran–Tsiga–Bakori Road with the Kadabo bridges in Kafur Local Government Area, and the dualisation of the Kano–Katsina Road from the Katsina–Kano State border to the Katsina Steel Rolling Mill Roundabout — were progressing steadily in line with the specifications of the Federal Ministry of Works.
Matinja disclosed that the 17-kilometre Ungwan Iliya–Bakori Road project, awarded in February 2025, comprises three bridges and has so far recorded over 11 per cent completion. He added that work has advanced on stone base layers, while more than four kilometres of lined drainage have been completed.
“Our quality assurance assessments confirm that the work being carried out fully conforms with the ministry’s specifications,” he said.
The Project Manager, Engr. David Omotosho, who represented the contractor, Messrs. Halis Matrix Limited, acknowledged that the project initially faced security challenges along some sections of the corridor. He said the contractor has since fully mobilised to site with adequate equipment and personnel.
According to him, the project has now reached about 15.5 per cent completion, with base course works completed on over four kilometres. He added that the contractor is targeting 40 to 45 per cent completion within the next few months.
Professional bodies that participated in the inspection, including the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN), Katsina Branch, led by Engr. Adamu Dahiru, and the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), represented by Engr. Abbas Sada, confirmed that the quality of work observed meets required engineering standards. They noted that the projects are being executed with adherence to professional ethics and attention to the safety of host communities.
Also speaking during the tour, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Community Engagement, Hon. Abdullahi Tanko Yakasai, expressed satisfaction with the quality of work and level of mobilisation on the sites visited. He urged contractors to sustain the pace to ensure timely delivery.
Meanwhile, three completed emergency repair projects along Mararraba–Tashan Boka–Gidan Daudu on the Katsina–Mararrabar Kankara Road were commissioned. The projects form part of the 260 emergency interventions initiated by the present administration over a year ago.
Other projects commissioned include emergency repairs of critical washouts at KM 1+775 and KM 2+736 along the Katsina–Dutsinma–Kankara Road, as well as the reinstatement of critical washouts and rehabilitation of damaged portions along the Katsina–Daura Road.
Yakasai said the interventions reflect the administration’s efforts to address infrastructure challenges caused by natural disasters and improve the well-being of communities, noting that many of the projects were initiated and completed mostly within three months.
Community representatives, Yahaya Usman Maikaulasa and Kabiru Tajuddeen, welcomed the interventions, noting that the affected roads were previously prone to frequent accidents and vehicular breakdowns.
“Since the repair of this road by the present administration, we no longer experience such challenges,” they said.
