Federal Ministry of Works

Jun

2026

LATEST PRESS

CEMENT MANUFACTURERS MUST REDUCE PRICES, TINUBU IS RETAKING NIGERIA — UMAHI

The Honourable Minister of Works, Senator Engr. David Umahi, CON, has called on cement manufacturers across the country to immediately reduce the price of cement, insisting that the current cost of the product is placing pressure on ongoing infrastructure projects and increasing demands for contract variations.

Umahi made the call while delivering keynote address at the official unveiling of the new corporate identity of Lafarge, now rebranded as HBM, a member of the HUAXIN Group, held at the Lagos Continental Hotel on June 21, 2026.

Speaking before industry leaders, investors, and stakeholders, the Minister emphasized that the Federal Government would engage cement manufacturers from July 1 to address the issue of cement prices. “I want to insist that Lafarge now HBM and other manufacturers of cement should reduce their prices,” Umahi declared.

“We shall be engaging on this from First of July. Manufacturer of Cement must reduce their prices because the contractors are chocking me to review their contracts. But nobody is reviewing anybody’s contract. It’s the manufacturers of cement that should review their cost.”

The Minister noted that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration is investing heavily in critical infrastructure across the country, creating unprecedented opportunities for manufacturers and investors. He urged HBM and other industry players to expand their capacity to meet the growing demands of the nation’s infrastructure revolution.

Commending the company on its transition and renewed commitment to the Nigerian market, Umahi assured the management of government support and partnership. “I commend you very highly and I say welcome onboard and we are going to work together. The market is smaller than what the president is doing. So, enlarge your coast,” he said.

The Minister used the occasion to highlight the remarkable progress being recorded under President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, particularly in the area of infrastructure development. He pointed to the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway as one of the evidences of the administration’s bold vision and commitment to national transformation.

According to him, the quality and scale of the project have continued to attract global attention and admiration. “When the Dudge Bank came to evaluate our project, they said it was undervalued and that the project is of topmost quality. Today, Our neighboring nations are coming to steal the technology of the coastal highway.”

Umahi expressed profound appreciation to President Tinubu for providing the leadership and political will driving the country’s infrastructure renaissance, assuring Nigerians that the administration remains firmly on course to restore national prosperity. “I want to use this opportunity to thank President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and I commit that Mr. President is committed to retake this country. The President knows what he is doing. The vision and mission are achievable and we are on course and this country will be taken back for the good of Nigerians.”

Sep

2023

DFA of Works Ministry Has Fully Complied with FG Directive The Director of Finance and Account (DFA) in the Ministry of Works, Yusuf Dahiru Girel has fully complied with government’s directive to proceed on posting to another ministry. The information going on in the media that former DFA of Works has defiled the Federal Government directive on posting is misleading and baseless. The posting of staff by the office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF) is an internal issue within the Federal Service and no staff has been reported to have refused directive at the Ministry till date. Members of the public are hereby urged to disregard the information making the round within some sections of the media that there was a drama as to the effect of refusal of posting by any staff within the Ministry. ...

Sep

2023

Umahi Announces Intention of Works Ministry to Face Dualized Roads .....We have N431B ready for contractors– Minister of Works The Honourable Minister of Works Engr David Nweze Umahi has announced the Ministry’s intention to focus on most of the dualized roads across the country. He said, “Why we are here now is to announce our intention to face most of the dualized roads in the country.” The Minister made these remarks while meeting with all contractors handling road dualization projects and all zonal Directors of the Ministry at the Ministry's Headquarters office in Abuja, today. “I want to remind you that Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) is funding 50% percent of the contract sum and that funding goes up to 2025, “he said. Umahi said “we have N431B of money that is ready for contractors to clear but there is no certificate for it , if you are doing a job under Phase 1, make effort to make claims , if your job involves augmentation go back to your Regional Director for understanding before I sign the certificate , any certificate I sign now , I have to take account for it even when I have left office “. The Minister tasked the contractors to stick to one lane if their job has not gone up to 50% completion; he said he had also come up with Performance Bond meaning that all new projects would be guaranteed for 10years. He urged all contractors that have built roads that cannot last up to ten years to write to the Ministry to either stop work or rebuild the road to last 10years, the Minister warned contractors that he would not listen to stories of failures on the roads due to overloading, he enjoined all the contractors to cooperate with him on building roads with concrete technology as it was done both in India and Singapore. Earlier, Engr. Umahi told the contractors and stakeholders to key into the Renewed Hope Agenda of Mr President, he said this Administration has 18,000kilometre of roads and inherited a contract sum of about N14.1 trillion and out of which N4trillion is being paid in all those projects, some of the projects have lasted between 10 to 20years. The Minister said some contractors have jerked up the contractor sum by hundred percent and that is the reason they are not getting paid. “We are going back to the original concept of the projects and the necessity of any additional works and also see how we get a fair deal, expecting an endorsement from the Ministry of what is not acceptable to Nigerian Society of Engineers is not possible “The Minister said. Engr. Umahi also confirmed that “Mr President understands road infrastructure, If I come before him with a contract of N44B reviewed to N144B contract sum, I must be able to provide details of how the cost came about “. ...

Sep

2023

FG To Review All Road Projects with Augmentation - Umahi Minister of Works Sen. (Engr). David Nweze Umahi has made it known that he will review all projects having augmentations. He made this statement while granting an interview with Pressmen during the Inspection tour of the reconstruction of Bende - Ohafia - Arochukwu road section I in Abia State on Thursday September 7, 2023. The Minister explained why he wants to review the projects, though not as proof, but because he wants to have the knowledge why a project is being reviewed. His words " I have directed that all the regional Directors will work with my team of consultants to review all the projects that are having augmentation. It's not a proof but l want to answer many questions about a project for example project awarded in many number of years for say 2 billion is now ten billion l should be able to answer that. " I seek for knowledge to know why projects are being reviewed, whether it will ever have augmentation, l want to unravel the augmentation even though BPP would have approved it. if I feel the augmentation is not necessary, I will bring down the cost. He added. Umahi said that the review of the augmentation is to also help him to answer Mr President, the National Assembly, the Nigerian masses and the Press so he will be able to defend what ever augmentation that arises. While answering questions on whether the success story of his Ebonyi state advocacy on concrete technology being replicated across the country will be supported, he said, that depends on the stability of the road for instance in the Northern part of the country the use of asphalt can be used but not in all situations. " Depending on the stability of the road like in the North we can do asphalt, but that is not to say concrete cannot be used. With asphalt in the Northern part of the country, that will last for ten years, if you use concrete it will last for fifty years". Engr. Umahi expressed happiness with the pace of work in the areas that the contractor is handling. Speaking earlier, the contractor, M/S HARTLAND NIG. LTD. explained that the contract was awarded in 2020 with total number of forty-five kilometer and they could only conclude on 4km of the road. ...

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PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT

Nov

2025

OTHER NEWS

Aug

2018

Remarks By The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry Of Power, Works And Housing, (Works And Housing Sector), Mohammed Bukar, At The 24th National Council Meeting On Works, Held In Birnin-Kebbi, Kebbi State

Protocols,

I am pleased to welcome you to the 24th Meeting of the National Council on Works holding in Birnin-Kebbi, Kebbi State.

2. As you are aware, the theme of this year’s National Council Meeting is “Ensuring Value-for-Money in Nigerian Highways Development”. The theme is apt and timely, considering our collective resolve to address the challenges in road development in the country within available resources.

3. In order to ensure that this target is achieved, it has become necessary for all the critical stakeholders to consider and provide contemporary policies that will support the attainment of the above target.

4. It is quite instructive that the theme was carefully chosen to ensure prudent spending of available financial resources in Highways development in the country due to the huge investment governments at all levels are making in road development.

5. The Meeting is significant as it will afford us the desired opportunities to identify challenges in the highways sector and develop strategies towards addressing them. We are therefore, expected to explore various realistic means of proper utilization of funds and other resources meant for road projects, to enable quick service delivery, which in turn will fast-track national growth and sustainability. May I also stress on the need to ensure that all our recommendations align with the objectives of the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP) of 2017-2019 which focuses on restoring economic growth, ease of doing business, investing in our people and creating a competitive economy. The achievement of these objectives largely lies on the availability of good road network across the country.

6. Distinguished delegates and officials, the timing of this meeting therefore, is very significant as it affords us the opportunity to think through and make necessary provisions in our various Budgets for the year 2019 and beyond as well as take necessary steps that will ensure money spent on roads impacts on the Nigerian economy, positively.

7. On this note, I once again welcome you all and wish you fruitful deliberations.

8. Thank you.

Speeches

May

2017

Remarks By Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN At The Inauguration Of The Board Of The Rural Electrification

Although today is only scheduled for the inauguration of the reconstituted board of the Rural Electrification Agency, I feel obliged to make a few comments that I believe shed some light on the plan of the Buhari Administration on our understanding of the purpose and role of this agency.

Before I do so, let me express the gratitude of the Federal Government of Nigeria to the immediate past acting Managing Director and his team and all those who have served in this agency since its inception, for their service and contribution.

It is my expectation that the new team will be able to build on whatever you have left behind, improve on it and ultimately achieve the purpose for which this agency was set up, which is to provide access to electricity for millions of Nigerians who are yet to be connected to the grid.

Although it is called a 'Rural' Electrification Agency, there are many urban and suburban communities that still lack access to power because they have not been connected to the national grid.

Part of the reason for this lack of access is that the 330/132 KV and 132/33 KV lines (popularly called the high-tension wires), by which this connection is often made, run over long distances covering several hundreds of kilometers.

The cost of extending these lines to communities is expensive and where the population in such communities is not large, the price of their electricity will be high because it will be borne by a few people.

Because public tariff is fixed, investments in these lines are not considered attractive and it is easy to pass over these communities or simply attempt grid extensions which have not covered the field and have resulted in many people being left behind.

All of this is about to change and that is why we are here. REA is the champion of these unconnected communities, who have have been left unserved. REA will bring them to mainstream of electricity connectivity by providing and promoting off grid connections.

Let me point out that when the Electricity Sector Reform Act was passed in 2005, it set up the Rural Electrification Agency and mandated that the Rural Electrification Implementation plan should be prepared (within a year) for Presidential Approval.

It is that plan that will set out how to reach the unconnected communities that I spoke about, through a combination of grid extension and development of independent grids, using new technology such as solar, which will mitigate the cost of the long 330/132 KV and 132/33 KV lines which I spoke about.

Unfortunately, nothing was done between 2005 and 2016 about the Rural Electrification Implementation program until 2016 when President Buhari approved this plan. That was a period of inaction of 11 (ELEVEN) years.

Thankfully, all that is behind us. We must look to tomorrow and the promise of increased access to electricity that President Buhari’s approval heralds.

The anchors for implementing Rural Access are:

A. Completion of over 2000 Grid extension projects that started life as constituency projects since 1999 but have now either been abandoned or uncompleted;

B. Resuscitation of 6 (SIX) small Hydro dams and activation of their power component, which have received Federal Executive Council (FEC) approval, have been advertised, and we have received Expressions of Interest which we are evaluating.

C. Development of Independent Power Plants in 37 (THIRTY-SEVEN) federal universities and seven teaching hospitals in rural areas and the building of independent power grids from there to connect adjoining rural and unconnected communities.

Most of these IPPs, at least 27 (TWENTY-SEVEN), will be solar powered and this is the heart of the matter.

This is because President Buhari understands the increasing emergence of renewable energy sources, like solar power from the fringes of the energy debate to the mainstream.

This is why he was one of the first leaders to append his signature on behalf of Nigeria to the Paris agreement.

Most importantly he understands the appeal of renewables generally and Solar in particular to the global youth population and Nigeria's youth.

He understands how impactful a small solar plant can be to a barber, hairdresser, small food processing plant and small businesses generally where our youth are participating in making their contribution to our national development.

He understands and appreciates the role that young people played in building the nation and driving the economy.

This is why he has appointed young people to the leadership and management of this agency, to deliver not only on the promise of their generation but also on the expectation of millions of unconnected people who are living without electricity.

This is why he has constituted a Board of Experience and Youth in this critical agency.

I hope and expect that all of us will rally round and support this new team to deliver on their mandate.

On behalf of the Ministry of Power, Works and Housing, I promise our fullest support.

It is therefore with pleasure that I formally inaugurate the Board of the Rural Electrification Agency and wish them success in the implementation of the Rural Implementation program.

Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN
Honourable Minister of Power, Works and Housing