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🇳🇬 Nigeria /Energy & Infrastructure

Nigeria Approves Over N7 Trillion for Major Road and Bridge Projects

From The Punch · (12m ago) English Positive tone

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

TLDR

  • Nigeria's Federal Executive Council approved over N7 trillion for 10 major road and bridge projects across the country.
  • Key approvals include extensions for the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway and a new section of the Sokoto-Badagry Expressway, along with the reconstruction of Carter Bridge.
  • The approvals represent the largest single batch of road project funding by the current administration, with some projects addressing long-delayed inherited issues.

The Nigerian Federal Executive Council has signaled a significant push in infrastructure development, approving a staggering N7 trillion for ten critical road and bridge projects. This substantial investment underscores the administration's commitment to enhancing connectivity and stimulating economic activity across all six geopolitical zones. The approved projects, including vital segments of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway and the Sokoto-Badagry Expressway, along with the complete reconstruction of the iconic Carter Bridge in Lagos, are poised to reshape the nation's transportation landscape.

A section of it is 71km, dualised, and was awarded to Salini under NNPCL’s tax credit, and for five years, nothing tangible was achieved. And so the Ministry of Works decided to terminate the project and rescoped it into two lots.

— Dave UmahiMinister of Works Dave Umahi explaining the termination and rescoping of a previously stalled road project.

Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, highlighted the scale of these approvals, noting that this is the largest single batch of road project funding sanctioned by the Tinubu-led FEC. The initiative aims not only to create new infrastructure but also to address and rectify long-standing issues with inherited projects. For instance, the Suleja-Minna and Kaduna Roads, previously stalled under a tax credit scheme with little progress, have been re-scoped and awarded to new contractors, signaling a determined effort to overcome past inefficiencies.

The project is very important to the people of Kaduna State. It is 122.8km, and the contract sum is N178.12bn.

— Dave UmahiMinister of Works Dave Umahi detailing the significance and cost of the Mando-Birnin Gwari Road reconstruction.

The decision to completely demolish and rebuild the Carter Bridge, one of Lagos's oldest and most vital crossings, follows extensive independent investigations confirming severe structural deterioration. This decisive action, though costly, prioritizes safety and long-term functionality over temporary fixes. The comprehensive approach to infrastructure renewal, including addressing inherited challenges and undertaking ambitious new projects, reflects a strategic vision for Nigeria's development and economic growth.

We convocated a stakeholders’ engagement, and all the technical experts all over the country, and even internationally, all agreed that we could not redeem Carter Bri

— Dave UmahiMinister of Works Dave Umahi explaining the unanimous decision for the complete demolition and reconstruction of Carter Bridge due to structural issues.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by The Punch in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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