By Joy Onu, Abuja
Chaos, confrontation, and bold assurances marked the 2026 budget defence of the Federal Ministry of Works as Minister, Senator David Nweze Umahi, appeared before a joint session of the Senate and House of Representatives Committees on Works on Wednesday. The minister mounted a robust defence of the ministry’s ₦3.244 trillion capital budget, emphasising that Nigeria’s road sector is undergoing a structural overhaul prioritising durability, economic corridors, and long-term national interest.
Umahi outlined the massive inherited liabilities confronting his ministry. He revealed that when President Bola Ahmed Tinubu assumed office on May 29, 2023, the government inherited 2,064 ongoing road projects valued at about ₦13 trillion. Escalating construction costs following the removal of fuel subsidy and the floating of the naira pushed the total value of these projects to approximately ₦16.9 trillion as of December 2025, excluding the President’s legacy projects and private tax credit schemes.
“It is impossible to complete ₦16.9 trillion worth of projects in one budget cycle,” Umahi told lawmakers. “What we have done is re-scoping, re-phasing, and prioritisation.” The minister explained that over 70 per cent of unfinished 2025 projects were rolled over into the 2026 budget, with new phases funded in stages to ensure completion.
He highlighted four flagship legacy projects initiated under President Tinubu, including the Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway, Sokoto–Badagry Superhighway, and the Akwanga–Jos–Bauchi–Gombe–Maiduguri corridor, describing them as “investment projects” rather than conventional road contracts. The financing model involves 30 per cent government counterpart funding and 70 per cent syndicated loans at interest rates below six per cent.
Umahi stressed a major policy shift under the ministry—the move from asphalt to concrete pavements on strategic corridors, directed by President Tinubu. Properly executed concrete roads, he noted, can last between 50 and 100 years, reducing lifecycle costs and enhancing durability. Citing the Abuja–Kaduna–Zaria–Kano corridor, he revealed Section One (180km, ₦252 billion) has received 15 per cent payment and is nearing commissioning, while Section Two (104km, ₦502 billion) has received 50 per cent payment, targeted for completion by November 2026.
To protect federal highways, the minister announced plans to reintroduce weighbridges under the Highway Development and Management Initiative (HDMI), supported by structured private-sector participation to enforce axle load limits.
Funding constraints dominated the session. Umahi disclosed that only ₦210.318 billion, roughly 9.7 per cent of the 2025 capital allocation, had been released. Contractors are currently owed approximately ₦2.2 trillion for works executed between 2024 and 2025. He noted that President Tinubu had directed the constitution of an ad hoc committee to address these outstanding payments. The minister also revealed that NNPC’s withdrawal from certain tax credit-funded projects created an estimated ₦7 trillion funding gap, which the ministry plans to fill through domestic bond issuance.
The session turned dramatic over the controversial award of part of the Abuja–Kaduna–Kano Road to Maikano, a firm allegedly better known for generator sales than large-scale highway construction. Former Edo State governor and Senator Adams Oshiomhole questioned why the contract was withdrawn from an established firm. Umahi dismissed the concerns, insisting quality oversight—not contractor reputation—determines durability, and challenged legislators to inspect the project in person. “If the job is found to be below standard, I will resign,” he declared.
The session was further marred by repeated confrontations between lawmakers. Deputy Majority Whip Senator Peter Nwaebonyi (APC, Ebonyi North), who frequently praised Umahi and the president, was interrupted by Deputy Minority Whip Senator Rufai Hanga (NNPP, Kano Central), chairing in place of the indisposed committee chairman.
“You cannot stop me from speaking after allowing Senator Oshiomhole to talk for 15 solid minutes uninterrupted. I’ve barely spent five minutes!” Nwaebonyi protested.
“You cannot take over proceedings just because you are a ranking senator,” Hanga retorted.
The clash escalated, with references to electoral mandates and seniority, prompting intervention from Senators Ali Ndume (Borno South) and Adamu Aliero (Kebbi Central). Nwaebonyi eventually left the room, highlighting tensions between ruling and opposition senators and the challenge of maintaining orderly legislative oversight.
Despite the drama, Umahi pressed forward, detailing that ₦760 billion of the 2026 budget is earmarked for new projects across the six geopolitical zones, separate from ongoing legacy projects. He also warned of vandalism, illegal dumping, and theft along federal highways, urging lawmakers to enact legislation criminalising such acts.
Chairman of the Senate Committee on Works, Senator Patrick Ndubueze, announced plans to inspect selected federal road projects to ensure budgeted funds are properly utilised. Observers noted that, despite procedural disruptions and heated exchanges, Umahi’s session reinforced the administration’s “Renewed Hope” infrastructure agenda, centred on durability, strategic investment, and connecting national economic corridors.
As scrutiny of the 2026 estimates continues, the budget defence highlighted the scale of ambition and pressure surrounding Nigeria’s road sector. With ₦16.9 trillion in ongoing obligations, rising construction costs, political rivalries, and contractor debts, Umahi presented the ₦3.244 trillion request as a pragmatic, balanced approach to prevent project abandonment while advancing transformative corridors across the country.
“There is no better representation of the vision of the President than the President himself,” Umahi concluded, reiterating that the Ministry’s direction reflects a deliberate national development agenda.
