By Mathew Dadiya
The Federal Government, Monday, approved four major infrastructure projects across the country, amounting to a total of N733 billion as part of President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to upgrade Nigeria’s road network.
Minister of Works, David Umahi announced this at the end of the FEC meeting chaired by President Tinubu in Abuja where he outlined the awarded contracts which covered key road dualization projects and a flyover construction.
The minister gave a breakdown of approved projects: Odupani-Itu-Ikot Ekpene Road (Cross River/Akwa Ibom) – Awarded to Decon Construction Nigeria Limited at N55 billion. The project, initially approved in 2021 for a higher amount, was reprocured after a review of contracts with previous contractors.
Umahi said, “Ibadan-Ilorin Road Section 2 (Oyo-Ogbomosho, Oyo State) – A 147-kilometer dualization project awarded at N147 billion.
“Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano Road Section 2 – This 164-kilometer stretch received the largest allocation of N507 billion and was awarded to InfoWest Nigeria Limited.
“Abakpa Flyover (Enugu State) – A traffic relief flyover near the 82 Division Nigerian Army in Enugu, awarded to CCECC at N24 billion.
Umahi also used the briefing to address concerns raised in the Senate over the equitable distribution of projects.
The minister of works clarified that project approvals depend on memos submitted for consideration and are not allocated based on regional favoritism.
He emphasized that most of the approved projects were inherited from past administrations and have been prioritized for completion.
He said, “There was a time we awarded some projects, and we came here to say this with the projects that fEC approved, and a senator raised a motion in the house, alluding that more projects were approved in the south than in the north.”
“Let me correct that impression, because I’m not qualified to write to the senate president to correct it. But the fact remains that it is the memo that comes to FEC that is approved.
“Sometimes a memo can be in favour of a particular region or a particular zone, or so and so forth. So our briefing here should not be taken as if we are bringing projects in an equitably form.
“A project may go to BPP and they are processing it, but is not…like today. We have a total of N507 billion, and that is for the Abuja-Kano section. And of course, in my own zone, we have only N24 billion.
“So if tomorrow you bring something that is big from the South East, nobody should start saying… So the President is committed to completing all the inherited projects.
“In any case, most of the projects we come here to announce are inherited projects, and that the President is continuing. And if you go back to look at the inherited projects, they were not even equitably distributed by the last administration, but the President did not mind he still continues, all of them,” he said.
