Federal Gov’t Okays N750bn For Road Projects

 

Approves national power policy, marine economy blueprint

 

The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved a series of new and rescoped road projects worth over N750 billion across several states.

Minister of Works, Dave Umahi made this known to State House correspondents on Monday after the FEC meeting presided over by President Bola Tinubu.

Umahi said the Council approved the rescoping of multiple projects inherited from past administrations to align with current budgetary realities and funding availability.

Among the key approvals was the rescoping of the Akure-Eta-Ogbese-Ekiti border to Ikere-Ado-Ekiti road project, which spans Ondo and Ekiti states.

The original 18.4km dual carriageway was revised to 15km at a cost of N19.4 billion. In line with FEC’s earlier directive to re-evaluate inherited contracts within available funding, the Ministry of Works also revised the Sokoto-Zamfara-Katsina-Kaduna road project.

Although initially awarded for N105 billion, the 375km stretch has now been rescoped to cover 82.4km along with six bridges, retaining the original budget figure.

Another project undergoing rescoping is the Maiduguri-Monguno Road in Borno State which was awarded in 2018 as a 105km project but now divided into two phases.

The first phase, covering 30km, has been approved at a cost of N21 billion, while the second phase will be presented to FEC upon completion of the first.

The Council also approved new projects including the Abakaliki-Afikpo flyover in Ebonyi State, awarded for N25 billion. In Ogun State, the construction of the Ikoga and Atan-Alapoti-Ado-Odo road was also approved for N37 billion.

Similarly, the Enugu-Onitsha Expressway project was also approved, with a 77km stretch awarded for N150 billion. Umahi noted that part of this project is being handled under the tax credit scheme with MTN Nigeria.

Also, the Benin-Shagamu-Ore Road saw new approvals, with the remaining 96km section now awarded for N187 billion.

The minister also highlighted the federal government’s 7th Axial Road project, an evacuation corridor linked to the Lekki Deep Sea Port.

The 50km road, including five kilometers of bridges, is set to be funded by a $651.7 million facility from the China Exim Bank. Umahi said President Bola Tinubu personally presented the project to Chinese authorities during a recent visit.

FEC also ratified the Aba-Ikot-Ekpene road project, with the first phase approved at a cost of N30.2 billion.

Additionally, the rehabilitation of the Ebute-Ero Outer Marina Shoreline, initially awarded for N114 billion, has been revised to N176.5 billion due to escalating coastal erosion threatening vital infrastructure, including military and naval installations.

In Gombe State, the Cham-Numan section of the Gombe-Yola road in Adamawa has been rescoped and awarded at N9.25 billion for the first phase.

The Works minister further revealed that over 70% of work has been completed on Section One of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, noting that about 30km of the project will be ready for commissioning by Tinubu, with an additional 10km on Section Two.

He disclosed that both the Dutch Bank and the Development Bank of Southern Africa have reviewed the procurement process for the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road and confirmed it as “excellent,” even describing it as “undervalued.” The endorsement came after the banks visited Nigeria and inspected the project sites.

On his part, Minister of Health, Prof. Ali Pate, revealed that FEC considered two major health sector items. First was the adoption of a report from a cabinet committee set up to combat the 2023 cholera outbreak.

Pate said that although over 18,700 cases were recorded in 2024, 80% of which occurred in just nine states, the outbreak was successfully contained through a coordinated response involving the federal and state governments, as well as the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).

He warned, however, that with the rainy season approaching, state governments must act swiftly to improve sanitation, prevent open defecation, and pre-position medical supplies in anticipation of future outbreaks.

“We are learning from 2024 to enter 2025 better prepared. Surveillance, commodities, and trained health workers must be in place,” he said.

The second health-related item approved by FEC was a major infrastructure upgrade at the Federal Medical Centre, Makurdi, to facilitate its relocation to a permanent site in Apir, Benue State.

He said the project is part of a broader federal initiative to strengthen tertiary healthcare institutions across the country.

In the power sector, Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, announced that FEC approved Nigeria’s first-ever National Integrated Electricity Policy.

Mandated by the revised Electricity Act of 2023, the policy sets a long-term framework to overhaul the power sector, improve governance, promote renewable energy integration, and guide the sustainable generation, transmission, and distribution of electricity.

Adelabu noted that the policy includes guidelines on market design, value chain analysis, regulatory frameworks, climate change adaptation, local content, and gender inclusion.

The Council also approved a comprehensive National Policy on Marine and Blue Economy, presented by the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy.

Adelabu, who spoke on behalf of the sector, said the 10-year implementation plan (2025–2034) aims to harness Nigeria’s vast marine resources, boost public-private partnerships, create jobs, and ensure sustainability.

The policy covers key areas including maritime trade, fisheries, aquaculture, tourism, environmental protection, and education.

Also speaking, Permanent Secretary of the Cabinet Affairs Office, Dr. Emanso Umobong, disclosed that FEC awarded major ecological contracts for the rehabilitation and expansion of key dams and irrigation projects, some of which date back to the 1970s.

These include the rehabilitation and expansion of the Tiga Dam under the Kano River Irrigation Project, awarded to Messrs Masarki Limited at a cost of N11.84 billion.
Also is the rehabilitation of the Shalangwa Gorge Dam irrigation scheme, awarded to UYK Nigeria Ltd for N7.47 billion and rehabilitation of the Kafin Chiri Irrigation Project which was awarded at a cost of N7.4 billion.

Umobong added that the interventions are expected to impact over 30,000 farm families, unlock 50,000 acres of farmland, and generate over 300,000 jobs through year-round irrigation farming.

The works will include erosion control and watershed management across 16 local government areas in Kano State.

Additionally, the Federal Ministry of Water Resources secured FEC approval for urgent repair works on the Alau Dam in Maiduguri, Borno State.

The dam was responsible for devastating floods that ravaged the state last year, and the new contract is aimed at preventing a repeat of that disaster.