The Minister of Works, Engr. David Umahi, has disclosed that the Abuja-Lokoja highway project will be completed and commissioned for public use in April 2026.
The Minister, who disclosed this on Saturday while inspecting road projects in the North Central zone bashed the contractor for slow pace of work.
He, however, commended the contractor for his quality of work on the section of the road visited.
He said contractors will be paid for jobs done (milestone completion) and those who could not meet up federal government targets, their jobs will be revoked and given to those who can do it.
He noted that President Bola Tinub has assured that NNPC projects must continue, however, not on the former terms.
“We are going to agree what you can finish in the next one year, and then we agree on milestone completion. If you complete from here to here, you get paid.
“From here to here, you get paid. Those who cannot meet up, we will divide their jobs and give to those who can. So, we are giving you an advance notice, and the advance notice is that you should start another gang,” he stated.
He continued: “If I come again in the month of November, and the thing is still like this, I will discontinue the job. The quality of the job is excellent, the pace of the work is nonsense. Is that okay? You are performing even poorer in Benin-Warri Road, but that is for another day, upper week, we are going there. Okay? Yes. But the quality of the work is excellent.
“The amount is N56 billion, and the job has to be completed in April 2026. It was to be done on asphalt, but the contractor came and said ‘oh, we have realised that concrete introduced is very good’. Can you allow us to use concrete and maintain the same cost? We worked it out, and then we agreed that you can use concrete to cover the entire 53 kilometers. That’s what we are doing,” Umahi said.
Earlier, speaking on the Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano Road, the Minister said the project will be completed in June 2026.
He said the road divided into three sections required an estimated N761 billion to complete it.
