The Federal Government has ordered the immediate emergency rebuilding of critical sections of the Suleja-Minna road, which has been severely damaged after years of neglect.
The directive came from the Minister of Works, Engr David Umahi, following an on-site inspection of road projects across the FCT, Kaduna, and Niger States. He was accompanied by the Minister of State for Works, Arc. Bello Goronyo, among other officials.
According to the Minister, efforts to get Salini Nigeria Ltd, the original contractors, to repair the severely damaged road were unsuccessful.
He noted the dreadful condition of Section 1 of the road, starting from the Abuja-Kano highway, which frequently causes breakdowns for heavy vehicles and contributes to fatal accidents. The government ended a road contract after an inspection showed the contractor didn’t have the necessary equipment. The two worst-affected parts of the road will now be fixed urgently using emergency procurement, and the government plans to document the road’s current condition for public record.
The Niger State governor had previously appealed to President Bola Tinubu about the road’s condition, prompting the Ministry of Works to step in.
Notably, the state government has already completed about 30 kilometers of the dual carriageway through its urban renewal initiative, handled by CCCC. The federal government has now greenlit CCCC to continue work on the remaining 71 kilometers (142 kilometers of dual carriageway) under emergency terms.
The Minister stated that CCCC has been given 10 days to mobilize and commence work on the most crucial 7-kilometer stretch, with their engineers and the Ministry’s jointly supervising site preparation.
Segun Showunmi, a PDP chieftain, applauded the Minister’s swift response, recalling his previous advocacy for this road and three others. He criticized the poor quality of road projects delivered by some foreign contractors in Nigeria compared to their international work.
Senator Nwaebonyi praised the President and the Minister for their decisive leadership and tangible results, highlighting the Minister’s consistent project inspections and the administration’s work on the Lagos-Calabar road.
The Minister of State for Works, Goronyo, commended Showunmi’s “investigative opposition” for physically inspecting projects and urged Nigerians to remain vigilant and acknowledge the ongoing economic recovery fueled by infrastructure development.
