The Federal government has approved approximately N1.24 trillion worth of road projects across Nigeria.
Minister of Works, Dave Umahi stated this to State House correspondents after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided over by President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, Abuja on Monday.
The minister announced a range of infrastructure developments aimed at improving connectivity and addressing flood-damaged roads.
He said key approvals include N80 billion in additional funding for the Bodo-Bonny Road in Rivers State, bringing the total project cost to N280 billion.
The minister said FEC also approved N740 billion for the rehabilitation of an 82-kilometer stretch of the Abuja-Kano Road, to be executed by Julius Berger.
He added that the meeting also approved the construction of a 258-kilometer three-lane carriageway, part of the 1,000km Sokoto-Badagry Super-highway in Kebbi State.
Others include rehabilitation of the Maraban-Kankara/Funtua Road in Katsina State and dualisation of the Afikpo-Uturu-Okigwe road in Ebonyi, Abia, and Imo states.
Umahi also highlighted the completion of emergency works on the Third Mainland Bridge in Lagos, which now includes advanced security features such as CCTV cameras and an observation room to enhance safety and response times.
Additionally, Umahi said 14 road and bridge projects affected by floods were approved for construction or rehabilitation across in Ekiti, Adamawa, Kebbi, Cross River, Ondo, Osun, Plateau and Rivers states.
The 14 road projects and bridges were badly affected by floods and the bridges that were being threatened include Ado-Ekiti/Afe Babalola in Ekiti State; JB Lamba Road in Adamawa State and Kuku-Besse-Zaria-Kata Road in Kebbi State.
Other approved projects include the construction of Ngutuk to Demeshi Road; Amasiroposi/Uburishagu to Enugu State, 20.3 kilometre Phase 1 Awo-Iwe-Ata road; Ebom Road in Cross River State; the Ilesha-Oke-Igbo, Ondo State, Phase 1 and another construction work at Atakumosa East in Osun State.
Also approved are the Lafia/Shendam Road in Plateau State, a section of Abakaliki/Afikpo Road Section 1; dualisation of Bodoken/Kitti/Koroma Road in River State, and the dualisation of Afikpo/Uturu/Okigwe Road in Ebonyi, Abia and Imo states.
Umahi said the 14 roads have been awarded alongside a contract for the repair and rehabilitation of Gamboru Bridge along Gambor-Ngala/Kala-Balge Road in Bornu State.”
The Minister also said the federal government approved two contracts for roads, one in Cross River, and the other one is Kabba in Kogi State, down to Ado-Ekiti road in favour of CCECC.
While pointing that the 82 kilometres Abuja/Kano Road has been approved for dualisation, Umahi emphasised the government’s shift towards using continuous reinforced concrete pavement for some projects, citing durability concerns.