Dave Umahi, Minister of Works, says major South-East road projects conceived during the colonial era but abandoned are now being implemented under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

Mr Umahi stated this on Saturday in Ebonyi while conducting senior journalists and government officials on an inspection tour of federal government projects in the state.

This is contained in a statement by Tunde Rahman, Director of Media and Publicity, Renewed Hope Ambassadors, on Sunday.

The minister identified the Calabar–Ebonyi–Benue Trans-Saharan Superhighway as one of the flagship projects expected to transform economic activities across the South-East, South-South, and parts of the North-Central region.

“It is a colonial-era dream long forgotten, but President Tinubu has revived it, and construction is now underway. We must thank him immensely,” Mr Umahi said.

He disclosed that Section One of the highway, originally designed as a 118-kilometre stretch but later extended to 123.6 kilometres, is being executed at a cost of N45 billion, with dualisation works progressing steadily.

According to him, Section Two, which traverses Benue and Kogi states to Nasarawa, has been awarded at a cost of N668 billion and has attained about 28 per cent completion in some sections.

Mr Umahi said the adoption of concrete road technology by the Tinubu administration had enabled construction to continue despite the rainy season.

“The Trans-Sahara Superhighway is not just a road; it is an investment corridor that will catalyse trade in agricultural produce such as cassava, yam, cashew, and palm oil from Cross River, Benue, and Ebonyi, while also connecting Nigeria to Cameroon.”

The minister expressed appreciation on behalf of the South-East for what he described as the president’s commitment to inclusiveness and infrastructure development in the region.

During the inspection, the team, which included the acting Federal Controller of Works in Ebonyi, Maxwell Okoh, and Mohammed Mustafa, Project Manager of Infiouest International Limited, inspected major bridges and concrete pavement sections along the highway.

The delegation also visited the 1.3-kilometre Ndi-Egbe Bridge in Afikpo Local Government Area of Ebonyi, linking the state with Cross River.

The bridge is expected to be completed in December 2026.

Mr Umahi and the team further inspected the N35 billion Onueke Flyover project in Ebonyi Central Senatorial District, designed to ease traffic congestion along the corridor.

The team also toured the completed concrete-pavement link road connecting communities in Ebonyi and Cross River states.

Meanwhile, Governor Francis Nwifuru of Ebonyi commended Mr Tinubu for ongoing infrastructure projects in the South-East and for what he described as the administration’s commitment to national renewal.

Receiving the media delegation in Abakaliki, Mr Nwifuru said his administration had sustained development projects across all local government areas of the state, including roads, primary healthcare centres, and water schemes.

“We have kept contractors busy in the state with projects spread across every local government area, from rural roads to primary health centres and water schemes,” he said.

The governor also maintained that Ebonyi remained one of the safest states in the country.

Mr Umahi disclosed that South-East governors and leaders would converge in Abakaliki on Monday for a rally to endorse President Tinubu for a second term.

According to him, Mr Nwifuru will lead the people of Ebonyi at the event in appreciation of the president’s support for the state and the region.

The national media tour is organised by the Renewed Hope Ambassadors in collaboration with the Presidential Media Team.

The South-East tour follows an earlier inspection of federal government projects in the North-West zone.

From Ebonyi, the delegation will proceed to Enugu before visiting Abia, Anambra, and Imo states to inspect projects being executed under the Renewed Hope Agenda. 

(NAN)