Umahi:Tinubu’s Four Legacy Road Projects to Reshape Nigeria’s Economy, Connectivity

Umahi:Tinubu’s Four Legacy Road Projects to Reshape Nigeria’s Economy, Connectivity

By Raphael Ekpang

Abuja (Core Reporters) -The Minister of Works, Engr. David Umahi, says the four major legacy road projects of the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration are strategic investments designed to reshape Nigeria’s transportation network, strengthen national connectivity and unlock economic opportunities across the country.

Umahi stated this on Wednesday, October 7, 2026, in Abuja at a press conference where he gave an extensive update on the administration’s four legacy road projects, ongoing federal road interventions, completed projects, procurement processes and measures being adopted by the Ministry to ensure value for money.

The four flagship projects, according to the Minister, are the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, Sokoto-Badagry Superhighway, Calabar-Ebonyi-Abuja Highway, also known as the Trans-Saharan Route/North-South connectivity corridor, and the dualisation of the Akwanga-Jos-Bauchi-Gombe-Biu-Maiduguri Road.

He said the projects were conceived as strategic national infrastructure to connect Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones, facilitate the movement of people and goods, stimulate economic activities and strengthen the country’s long-term development.

Giving an update on the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, Umahi disclosed that Section 1, covering 47 kilometres, had been completed, while significant progress had been recorded on Section 2, covering approximately 55 kilometres.

He said pavement works on Section 2 were nearing completion, with major flyovers, overpasses and underpasses also under construction to address complex traffic, environmental and engineering challenges along the corridor.

The Minister explained that portions of the alignment had to be redesigned to accommodate existing and planned rail, road and industrial infrastructure, particularly around the Dangote Refinery and Lekki Deep Seaport axis.

He stressed that the objective was to develop an integrated transportation system rather than an isolated road project.

On the Ondo axis, Umahi said sections of the alignment were redesigned because of difficult terrain, deep pits and challenging subsoil conditions, adding that substantial filling and ground-improvement works were ongoing to guarantee durability, safety and cost-effectiveness.

He further disclosed that President Tinubu had directed that the continuation of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway be aligned with the existing East-West Road in parts of the Niger Delta.

According to him, the decision was a strategic engineering intervention aimed at addressing the increasing impact of flooding and climate change on critical infrastructure.

Umahi said critical sections of the East-West Road would be raised to accommodate present and anticipated flood levels and ensure the continued functionality of the strategic corridor.

He also highlighted the importance of the Benin City Bypass and other sections of the littoral corridor in reducing congestion and improving transportation across the South-South zone.

On the Sokoto-Badagry Superhighway, the Minister said the project was designed to establish a major economic corridor linking Illela in Sokoto State with Badagry in Lagos State.

He said various sections were at different stages of construction, with significant progress recorded across the Sokoto, Kebbi, Oyo, Ogun and Badagry axes, while work on the Niger and Kwara sections would commence soon.

Umahi said the importance of the project went beyond road construction, as the corridor would unlock agricultural, industrial, tourism and other economic opportunities.

He added that the Federal Government was exploring complementary investments, including agriculture, housing and tourism, along the major infrastructure corridors.

Speaking on the third legacy project, the Trans-Saharan Route, Umahi said it was designed to strengthen connectivity between the coastal axis and northern Nigeria and facilitate the movement of people, goods and services across the South-South, South-East and North-Central geopolitical zones.

He disclosed that substantial progress had been recorded on the initial sections, while additional sections had been approved to make the corridor more economically viable and attractive to potential financiers.

On the fourth legacy project, the Akwanga-Jos-Bauchi-Gombe-Biu-Maiduguri road, Umahi said the existing single carriageway was being expanded into a major northern connectivity route.

He added that the scope had been extended to include an additional spur from Jos to Ibi in Taraba State, with design and procurement processes ongoing.

The Minister also listed several major road and bridge projects completed or ready for commissioning across the country.

They include Section I of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, Kwanar Danja-Hadejia Road, Kaduna-Pambeguwa Road, Lafia Bypass and the Bodo-Bonny Road with bridges across the Opobo Channel.

Others are the Gombe-Potiskum rehabilitation project, sections of the Azare road linking Jigawa and Bauchi, the five-span Ampoha Bridge, the 23-kilometre, 23-span flyover project on the Ekpoma-Benin axis and a three-span, 75-metre dualised bridge structure.

Umahi further disclosed that several sections of the Lagos-Badagry and Lagos-Ibadan and Lagos-Shagamu-Ore corridors had been completed, while other sections were at advanced stages of completion.

He assured Nigerians that the Ministry was updating its compendium of completed and ongoing projects.

“We have quite a lot of projects. We have completed projects and we have ongoing projects. We are updating the compendium and it will be made available on the Ministry’s website and circulated to the public,” he said.

The Minister reiterated the Ministry’s increasing adoption of concrete pavement on major highways, saying the policy was driven by the need for greater durability and reduced maintenance costs.

According to him, the Federal Government was developing infrastructure capable of serving Nigerians for several decades while providing better value for public resources.

On the procurement process for the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, Umahi said the Ministry followed the applicable procurement framework, adding that the special procurement approach was necessitated by the unique engineering requirements of constructing a major highway through difficult coastal terrain.

He said the Ministry identified the need for a contractor with a proven track record in executing similar coastal infrastructure and subsequently made a recommendation to the Bureau of Public Procurement, BPP.

According to him, the BPP reviewed the recommendation and gave its clearance, while the Federal Executive Council remained the final approving authority.

Umahi said the contractor’s bid was subjected to scrutiny, with proposed rates compared against prevailing market prices for materials and other inputs.

“We put everybody on the same platform. We sent the proposals to the Bureau of Public Procurement. They reviewed it and where they felt that the rates went beyond their expected maxima, they called our attention to it, and we reviewed the rates accordingly,” he said.

The Minister also disclosed that substantial progress had been recorded on the outstanding sections of the Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano Expressway, with all sections completed except the Jere-Kaduna portion, which he said was advancing steadily.

He revealed that the Ministry was installing solar-powered lighting along the 375-kilometre expressway to improve night visibility, safety and security.

Umahi also disclosed that the Ministry had commenced an “Operation Rescue” on the Benin-Asaba Expressway following challenges associated with the road and its existing concession arrangement.

He said the Federal Government had intervened to restore mobility while plans were being developed for comprehensive reconstruction of the entire alignment using continuously reinforced concrete pavement, CRCP.

The Minister stressed that Nigerians should not continue to suffer because of unresolved contractual or concession-related issues.

On infrastructure development in the South-East, Umahi said the Tinubu administration had demonstrated a clear commitment to reintegrating the region into the national infrastructure development programme.

He cited the completion of the Second Niger Bridge, rehabilitation of the First Niger Bridge, ongoing construction of major bypasses and other federal road projects as evidence of the administration’s commitment.

“We can’t continue to live in denial. What we have been crying for is being given. The people of the South-East are being fully reintegrated into the national infrastructure development plan,” he said.

Umahi maintained that infrastructure development should be viewed from the perspective of national integration rather than regional politics, stressing that the Federal Government’s infrastructure agenda was designed to ensure that every part of Nigeria benefited from strategic investments in roads, bridges and other transportation infrastructure.

On Tax Credit Scheme projects inherited from previous administrations, the Minister said the Federal Government had taken proactive measures to address projects where private-sector partners could no longer sustain previously approved financing arrangements.

He warned contractors who received mobilisation or project funds but failed to deploy them to the sites that the Ministry would take appropriate steps to recover such funds.

Umahi said accountability, performance and value for money remained central to the Ministry’s project execution strategy.

On the First Niger Bridge, he said the Federal Government was introducing measures to improve traffic management and protect the structural integrity of the bridge.

He disclosed that traffic management infrastructure, CCTV cameras and other security measures were being installed at the Asaba and Onitsha ends of the bridge.

According to him, bridges are primarily designed to accommodate dynamic rather than static loads, stressing that prolonged traffic gridlock could create additional structural and safety challenges.

He said remedial works, repainting and other maintenance activities were also being undertaken to extend the bridge’s service life.

The Minister further said the Federal Government’s road development strategy incorporated environmental considerations, including tree planting along major highways and installation of solar-powered street lighting.

He said the measures would improve visibility, provide shade and contribute to reducing harmful emissions along major transport corridors.

Umahi linked the infrastructure programme to the broader economic reforms of the Renewed Hope Agenda, saying improved roads and connectivity would support agriculture, industrialisation, trade, commerce, tourism and investment.

He maintained that the Federal Government’s infrastructure investments were part of a broader strategy to translate macroeconomic growth into tangible opportunities at the grassroots.

On financing, Umahi assured Nigerians that mechanisms had been put in place to ensure that the major legacy projects were adequately funded to completion.

He disclosed that significant portions of the projects had already been funded, while loan-financing arrangements were being implemented for the remaining components.

“We don’t start what we will not finish. And we will not finish what we have not started,” he stated.

The Minister reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment to completing inherited projects while simultaneously delivering new strategic infrastructure under the Tinubu administration.

He said the legacy projects were not merely road construction schemes but long-term investments designed to transform Nigeria’s economic landscape, improve connectivity, strengthen national integration and security, and create opportunities for millions of Nigerians.

In his closing remarks, the Director Overseeing the Office of the Permanent Secretary, Mohammed Aminu Ahmed, FCNA, commended the media for its continued partnership with the Ministry in informing Nigerians about government infrastructure projects.

He urged journalists to continue providing constructive criticism on the Ministry’s activities.