The Federal Executive Council (FEC) Monday approved revised and new road contracts across 13 states of the federation worth ₦787.14 billion and $651.7 million.
Addressing State House correspondents at the end of the FEC meeting chaired by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Minister of Works, Mr Dave Umahi, said the council approved the rescoping and variation of the dualisation project covering the Akure-Eta-Ogbese-Iju-Ekiti border to Ikere-Ado-Ekiti road, spanning parts of Ondo and Ekiti states.
“Fifteen kilometers of the 18.438km stretch will be constructed within available funds at a revised cost of N19.407 billion,” he said.
He said similar rescoping was approved for the Sokoto-Zamfara-Katsina-Kaduna dual carriageway, a 375km project inherited from the previous administration.
“The Sokoto to Zamfara section, originally awarded for N105 billion, has now been rescoped to cover 82.4km plus six bridges, still within the same budget,” he said.
He said the council also approved the segmentation of the long-pending 105km Maiduguri-Monguno road in Borno State into phases, with the first 30km awarded for N21 billion.
The minister said new contracts were also awarded by the council including the construction of the Abakaliki-Afikpo Flyover in Ebonyi state at N25 billion and the Ikoga Road and Atan-Alapoti-Ado-Odo Road in Ogun State at N37.045 billion.
He said the Enugu-Onitsha road project, partly funded by MTN, is being rescoped to 77km and awarded for N150 billion.
He said the remaining 96km stretch of the Benin-Shagamu-Ore road was approved for construction at a contract sum of N187 billion.
On international funding, the minister said the 50km 7th Axial Road project, which includes five kilometers of bridges, has secured $651.7 million in funding from China Exim Bank.
“This road is a strategic evacuation corridor for goods from the Lekki Deep Seaport, including those from Dangote Refinery and Fertilizer Plant,” he said.
He said the council also ratified previously announced projects including the Aba-Ikot-Ekpene road (N30.23 billion), the expanded shoreline protection at Ebute-Ero and Outer Marina (revised to N176.495 billion), and the rehabilitation of the Cham-Numan section of the Gombe-Yola road, now awarded in phases with N9.253 billion approved for the first phase.
The minister said 70 percent of work is completed on Section One of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway.
“Thirty kilometers will be ready for commissioning by Mr. President, and 10 kilometers of Section Two are nearing completion. We are also targeting 10 kilometers of completed concrete pavement on the Sokoto-Badagry corridor by May 25.
“The Dutch Bank and the Development Bank of Southern Africa reviewed the procurement process and project designs. They not only endorsed the process but also stated it was undervalued,” he said.
Also speaking, the Permanent Secretary (Cabinet Office), Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Dr Emanso Umobong, said the council approved three critical dam rehabilitation projects aimed at preventing flooding and supporting irrigation in northern Nigeria.
“The Council approved the rehabilitation and expansion of Tiga Dam in Kano at N11.83 billion, the Shalagua Gorge Dam at N7.47 billion, and the Kafinciri Irrigation Project at N7.4 billion,” she said.
She said the interventions were part of President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda to ensure food security and wealth creation.
She said the projects would positively impact 30,000 farm families and over 50,000 acres of farmland, enabling up to three annual farming cycles and generating over 300,000 jobs.
“Erosion control works, watershed management, and ecological remediation across 16 local government areas of Kano senatorial district are also part of the project scope,” she said.
She said the council also approved contract for the repairs on the Alau Dam in Maiduguri, which had caused severe flooding in 2023.
“This timely intervention by the Ministry of Water Resources will prevent similar disasters this year,” she said.