Umahi Opens Reconstructed Section Of Enugu-Onitsha Road

The Minister of Works, Senator Engr. David Umahi, on Thursday, April 2, 2026, officially opened a completed section of the Enugu–Onitsha Expressway to motorists.
The Minister speaking during the event pondered on the past condition of the road and its importance to the region:

“The journey of Enugu to Onitsha was taking about 7 hours before 2023. The most important road in South East is this road.”

Umahi in a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media Mr Francis Nwaze reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to improving road infrastructure across the Southeast and Nigeria in general under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

He explained that the project, which was initially under a tax credit arrangement involving MTN Nigeria and executed by RCC, had stalled before quick intervention from the President.

“We inherited this road under Tax credit of MTN and executed for them by RCC but everything was on stand still until I went to plead with President Tinubu.”

According to the Minister, the President’s intervention brought renewed direction and improved construction standards:

“The President didn’t only give acceleration to the construction of this road but he directed that atleast 50% of it must be on concrete and like that of Lagos Calabar coastal Highway.”

He added that the project had earlier been awarded without significant progress before the current administration reviewed and restructured it: “The project was awarded before the coming of President Tinubu with no meaningful progress made. We reviewed it and allow MTN to continue with their contract sum excluding 72KM.”

Highlighting the scale of commitment, he said: “It takes a lot of courage to do what President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is doing. The entire road is being reconstructed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.”

Providing updates on the current status, the Minister noted; “The first 50km of reinforced concrete pavement is about 97% completed but the President directed me to come and open the road so that the people of SouthEast will not suffer during the Easter period and that why I am here to open the first 15km of the road.”