[Current Date] – In response to mounting concerns over the deplorable state of federal roads across Nigeria, the Minister for Works, Dave Umahi, announced plans for the rehabilitation and palliative work on all failed federal roads, set to commence on December 1, 2023. The minister disclosed these measures in a statement posted on his X (formerly Twitter) account on Monday.
The identified roads for immediate attention include the Makurdi-Nsukka 9th Mile Road, East-West Road, Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway, Benin bypass road, collapsed bridges of Enugu-Port Harcourt road, collapsed bridges of Shandam-Plateau State, Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano road, and Gombe-Bauchi, among others.
Umahi acknowledged the concerns raised by commuters and residents and emphasized the government’s commitment to tackling road infrastructure challenges head-on. Despite the heavy debt burden inherited from ongoing road projects, Umahi outlined a plan to address the immediate issues and ensure sustainable road infrastructure nationwide.
The minister revealed that a sum of N300 billion has been allocated in the 2023 supplementary budget. This includes N100 billion for immediate palliative works on all roads in the 36 states and the federal capital territory, and N200 billion for the completion of ongoing projects.
Umahi assured Nigerians that President Bola Tinubu has directed that palliative projects must commence before December 1, 2023, with strict adherence to due process. The minister highlighted ongoing work on roads frequently complained about in all regions of the country, urging the public to verify the progress.
To encourage public participation, Umahi called on citizens to supervise contractors engaged in palliative works and report poorly constructed roads promptly. Contact numbers (08030986263, 08037086137, 08106423197) were provided for reporting, along with instructions to include details such as the contractor’s name, location, type of contract, and observed defects.
Furthermore, Umahi clarified the government’s position on road construction materials, stating that the use of asphalt has not been emphatically banned. Contractors can choose between asphalt and concrete pavements for ongoing projects at no extra cost to the government. The minister emphasized adherence to specified guidelines for both materials, ensuring quality and longevity.
Umahi concluded by addressing critics of the concrete technology policy, asserting that the new approach is in the best interest of Nigeria. He emphasized the need to utilize the country’s abundant bitumen deposits instead of importing adulterated bitumen. The Ministry plans to recognize genuine reports from the public and publicly sanction erring contractors in a quarterly engagement forum.