Tanker Explosion: Govt Orders Palliative Work On Niger Road

The Minister of Works, Engr. Nweze David Umahi has deployed an emergency committee to Niger State. The committee will work with CGC Nigeria Limited, the project contractor, to ensure palliative rehabilitation is carried out on the Lambata—Lapai—Bida road.

He gave the directive on Thursday after a meeting with the delegation of the National Assembly members from Niger State, the Governor of Niger State and the President of Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, on the immediate intervention on the affected road.

The meeting followed the tanker explosion on Tuesday at Essa Village, CH.97+000, along the Lambata—Lapai—Bida road in Niger State.

He condoled with the families of those who lost their lives, the Governor of Niger State, Mohammed Umar Bago and the people of Niger State over the unfortunate tanker inferno.

Umahi, in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media, Barr. Orji Uchenna Orji, the Minister, “set up an emergency committee to immediately move to Niger State, working with the contractor handling the project, CGC Nigeria Limited, to ensure that palliative rehabilitation is carried out on the affected road.”

The statement noted that the project was initially NNPC-funded. Still, in view of   NNPCL’s withdrawal from the funding scheme nationwide, the President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has directed that all the inherited ongoing projects hitherto funded by NNPC be reviewed and presented to him and that no such projects should be stopped because of NNPCL’s exit from the funding scheme.

“The Federal Ministry of Works has reviewed all such projects, and the projects will be presented to Mr President by next week,” he added.

Therefore, the Minister called on all project contractors, especially those who have generated certificates for payment, to return to the site while they expect payment from November 2025.

He reiterated the Renewed Hope Administration’s commitment to building enduring road infrastructure nationwide and ensuring sustainable growth and a prosperous economy through the bequest of massive, solid road infrastructure for our future generation.