Tinubu Reviving Long-Abandoned South-East Road Projects, Says Umahi

Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, has said that several major road projects conceived during the colonial era but left unimplemented for decades are now being revived and executed under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

Umahi made the remarks during an inspection tour of ongoing federal government projects in Ebonyi State on Saturday, accompanied by senior journalists, government officials and project managers.

The minister identified the Calabar–Ebonyi–Benue Trans-Saharan Superhighway as one of the flagship infrastructure projects expected to transform economic activities across the South-East, South-South and parts of the North-Central region.

Describing the highway as a historic project, Umahi said it represented the revival of a long-forgotten vision.

“It is a colonial-era dream long forgotten, but President Tinubu has revived it, and construction is now underway. We must thank him immensely,” he said.

According to the minister, Section One of the highway, originally designed as a 118-kilometre stretch but later extended to 123.6 kilometres, is currently under construction at a cost of N45 billion, with dualisation works progressing steadily.

He further disclosed that Section Two of the project, which traverses Benue and Kogi states and extends to Nasarawa State, has been awarded at a cost of N668 billion and has already achieved about 28 per cent completion in some sections.

Umahi attributed the pace of work partly to the Federal Government’s adoption of concrete pavement technology, which allows construction activities to continue even during the rainy season.

“The Trans-Sahara Superhighway is not just a road; it is an investment corridor that will catalyse trade in agricultural produce such as cassava, yam, cashew and palm oil from Cross River, Benue and Ebonyi, while also connecting Nigeria to Cameroon,” he said.

The minister expressed appreciation on behalf of the South-East, commending President Tinubu for what he described as his commitment to inclusiveness and infrastructure development across the region.

During the inspection exercise, the delegation, which included Acting Federal Controller of Works in Ebonyi State, Maxwell Okoh and Project Manager of Infiouest International Limited, Mohammed Mustafa, visited major bridge and pavement construction sites along the corridor.

The team also inspected the 1.3-kilometre Ndi-Egbe Bridge in Afikpo Local Government Area, a strategic project linking Ebonyi and Cross River states. The bridge is expected to be completed by December 2026.

Another major project visited was the N35 billion Onueke Flyover in Ebonyi Central Senatorial District, designed to ease traffic congestion and improve transportation along the busy route.

The delegation further toured a completed concrete-pavement link road connecting communities in Ebonyi and Cross River states.

Speaking during the visit, Ebonyi State Governor Francis Nwifuru praised President Tinubu for the ongoing infrastructure projects in the South-East and what he described as the administration’s commitment to national development.

Receiving members of the media delegation in Abakaliki, Nwifuru said his administration had continued to implement development projects across all local government areas of the state, including road construction, healthcare facilities and water supply schemes.

“We have kept contractors busy in the state with projects spread across every local government area, from rural roads to primary health centres and water schemes,” the governor said.

He also maintained that Ebonyi remains one of the safest states in Nigeria.

Meanwhile, Umahi disclosed that governors and political leaders from across the South-East would converge in Abakaliki on Monday for a rally aimed at endorsing President Tinubu for a second term in office.

According to him, Governor Nwifuru will lead the people of Ebonyi State at the event in appreciation of the president’s support for the state and the wider South-East region.

The inspection exercise forms part of a national media tour organised by the Renewed Hope Ambassadors in collaboration with the Presidential Media Team.

Following the Ebonyi leg of the tour, the delegation is expected to continue to Enugu before visiting Abia, Anambra and Imo states to assess projects being executed under the Renewed Hope Agenda.