Federal Ministry of Works

Sep

2026

LATEST PRESS

FG EMBARKS ON DECISIVE EMERGENCY INTERVENTION ON BENIN-ASABA EXPRESSWAY

The Honourable Minister of Works, Engr. David Nweze Umahi, CON, FNSE, FNATE, has kick-started the Federal Government’s emergency intervention on the Benin–Asaba Highway under the Ministry’s “Operation Rescue” initiative, aimed at restoring safe, smooth, and uninterrupted movement along the critical corridor. The intervention, to be carried out by the Ministry, through the hiring of equipment and direct implementation, is a demonstration of its determination to address the severe deterioration of sections of the road and bring immediate relief to motorists, commuters, businesses, and the affected communities. He made this known during the inauguration of *"Operation Rescue Benin -Asaba Expressway”* at Benin City, Edo State on Thursday, 24 September, 2026. The Benin–Asaba Highway is a strategic Federal Highway that commences at AIF Roundabout in Benin City, Edo State, and terminates at Summit Junction in Asaba, Delta State, with a distance of 125km. It was concessioned to the Benin-Asaba Expressway Concession Company (BAECC) by the immediate past administration but the handing over of the site was performed by the present one in March, 2025. However, it has since been proven that the Concessionaire lacks the technical and financial capabilities to execute the project. This was established by the *Independent Engineer (I.E.)* for the project, *Messrs Yolas Consultants Limited*.* Considering the plight of road users and the continued deterioration of the concessioned road, the I.E. advised the Ministry to urgently take all necessary steps to save it from further deterioration, avert further gridlock, assuage the suffering of motorists, as well as save the Federal Government from embarrassment.

Engr. Umahi has personally been monitoring the implementation of the concession project, through several site visits and issued instructions via the I.E. for the *Concessionaire* to stick to the Ministry’s standards and methodology, which were not complied with leading to the worsening of the road condition. Hence, the Ministry’s intervention to save the critically failed sections of the Expressway, through the deployment of equipment and personnel.

The Federal Ministry of Works, according to the Minister, is poised to alleviate the hardship being experienced by road users and communities on the corridor, alike. He reiterated that the Federal Government would not allow the condition of a major national artery to continue to undermine economic activities, the movement of people, goods, and services, as well as the safety of road users and the host communities. He stressed that the emergency intervention is focused on achieving immediate traffic relief, while providing a sustainable engineering solution to the identified problem spots.

According to him, the intervention is also being driven by the overriding need to protect public interest and ensure that Nigerians using the road are not left to bear the consequences of the deteriorating infrastructure occasioned by the lapses of the *Concessionaire.* The Minister emphasised that *” this is not a new contract but an immediate solution to the plight of road users.”* He reaffirmed the commitment of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration to restoring critical road infrastructure across the country and ensuring that emergencies receive prompt and decisive attention.

*“Operation Rescue”* is about immediate action, restoration of movement, and protection of the travelling public and communities along the corridor. *“We are determined to address the failed sections and, thereafter, provide a durable solution that will serve Nigerians for many years,”* the Minister asserted.

Engr. Umahi called on road users and people along the corridor to cooperate with the Ministry’s officials and traffic-management personnel, as emergency works commence, assuring them that the Ministry would continue to monitor progress and take all necessary measures to minimise hardship during the period of the intervention. “*I am pleading with motorists to exercise patience, observe traffic-management directives and drive cautiously around active construction zones,* he stated.

Engr. Umahi highly commended President Tinubu's concern over the well-being of citizens, reiterating that *”the Ministry remains committed to restoring the Benin–Asaba Expressway to a safe, functional and durable condition in the overall interest of Nigerians and the national economy."*

Before this, the Governor of Edo State, His Excellency, Senator Monday Okpebholo had demonstrated his commitment to the welfare of his people during the protest in August, 2026 caused by the bad state of the road by immediately identifying with the situation and dispatching his Chief of Staff to appeal for calm and reassure the affected communities and motorists of immediate remedial action. Speaking at the Ceremony, His Excellency appreciated the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria for his prompt and decisive intervention, as well as the Minister of Works for his continued commitment to the provision of road infrastructure across the country.

The Governor of Delta State, His Excellency, Sheriff Oborevwori, represented by his Deputy, Charles Anaogu, expressed much gratitude for the immediate response in restoring the all-important road. *”It is a well-desired action to better the lives of the people of Delta State and the general public,* he added.

The *representative of the Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC),* applauded the President for his commitment to the development of the Niger Delta region. He also commended the Honourable Minister for his steadfastness to the welfare of the people of the zone and Nigerians, at large.

Delivering the Welcome Address earlier, the Special Adviser to the Edo State Governor on Project Implementation and Monitoring, Engr. Phoebe William Bello, described the rescue operation as very timely in reinstating the critical transportation corridor connecting communities, facilitating mobility, commerce and trade between Edo and Delta States with the other parts of the country. Therefore,*its importance cannot be overstated,”* she noted.

The occasion was graced by lots of dignitaries and Goodwill Messages were delivered by the Deputy Governors of Edo and Delta States, the Rt. Honourable Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, the Youth Leader of Ikpaba Hill Community, and other stakeholders, who unanimously eulogised the Federal Government’s proactive response.

Mar

2022

East -West Road Returns to Works Ministry for Completion 13 years after ... As Akpabio handed Project back to Fashola .... We need peace to deliver the project - Fashola As directed by the Presidency, the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs has handed over the East-West Road back to the Ministry of Works and Housing for completion. Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio handed over the project back to the Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN Wednesday, March 30, 2022. At the handing over Fashola said, "It is an uncommon act because it is the decision of the Federal Government of Nigeria that this project that started then in the Ministry of Works be transferred to the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs and thirteen years after the President directed that the project be handed over to the Ministry of Works and Housing for completion." Accordingly, the Works and Housing Minister said that peace is needed within the host communities for the project to be delivered. “One condition for any project to take place is communal peace. If we don’t have peace there, we cannot do anything,” he said. While appealing for peace, collaboration and sacrifice from the communities, Mr. Fashola also urged representatives of the various communities at the event to take the message back home that peace is needed to deliver the project. On the progress of work done he said, “Progress has been made from 2009 till date no doubt but unfortunately that progress is not reported because of the passion with which the uncompleted part has been reported." Fashola directed the Director Overseeing the Office of the Permanent Secretary in his Ministry, Engr.Chukwunwike Ogbonna Uzo to constitute a requisite team from the Ministry to undertake actual assessment with the contractors so that the Ministry will be able to sign off in the proper engineering and civil construction terms at the point the Ministry is taking over, adding that Mr. President will be briefed on the progress of work done so far. Earlier in his remarks, the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio said that in order to fast tract the completion of the project, the people of Ogoni Land demanded that the project be supervised by Federal Ministry of Works and Housing that has much more experienced professionals in terms of engineering services. Akpabio explained that the project was awarded in 2006 by the administration of President Olusegun Obasanjo and that as of 2022 Sections 1-4 of the project is eighty percent completed. “As we hand over the East-West road to you today, about 80% of the project has been completed and that the situation today is that it is easy to drive from Port Harcourt to Yenagoa under fifty minutes.” On the length of the road, he said it is a 328 kilometre road that starts from Effurun in Delta State and transverses the Niger Delta, Rivers State and ends up in Oron in Akwa-Ibom State, while Section 5 of the road is from Oron to Calabar in Cross River State. On Funding, the Minister said that the sum of 10.4 billion naira was awaiting release and that he has directed that the money should be released to the East-West Road Account to be controlled by the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing. ...

Mar

2022

Roads: President Buhari Wins Great Builder Award For Africa · As Fashola receives Award of Excellence for commitment to road infrastructure · Nigeria to host the 2022 Inaugural on March 31 Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari has won the Super Prize Great Builder Award while the Minister of Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, SAN, received an Award of Excellence for the African Road Builders -Trophee Babacar Ndiaye for the year 2021. President Buhari was chosen for the award for significant Improvement in road transport network in Nigeria while the Minister was chosen as recipient of his award for commitment to road and transport infrastructure in the country during the 2021 Inaugural Conference of the African Road Builders - Trophee Babacar Ndiaye - which was held in Cairo, Egypt. With headquarters in Abidjan, Cote d' Voire, the African Road Builders - Trophee Babacar Ndiaye holds the annual event with the objective of celebrating good examples and encouraging all African countries to improve road and transportation Infrastructure. The Conference also aims to promote development of road transport in Africa by rewarding each year an African Head of State for significant Improvement in road transport in his country. The Conference members and participants drawn from some African countries also include; Political authorities from the member countries, Road and Transport Authorities, The African Development Bank, Development Partners operating in the member countries, Local Road and Transport Actors in Nigeria, among others. Nigeria is billed to host the 2022 Inaugural Conference – “Conference Inaugurale”, in Abuja on Thursday, 31 March, 2022, during which President Buhari will be conferred with his Award at the closing dinner of the conference. The Conference theme is "Building Roads, Building Economies – “Construire Des Routes, Batir Des Economies”. ...

Mar

2022

Commitment To Human Resources Determines Quality of Life – Fashola …As Ministry of Works and Housing hosts 2020 Staff Recognition and Reward Ceremony in Abuja The Minister of Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, SAN has declared that the commitment of the human resources comprising men and women determines the quality of life in every given environment. He stated this at the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing 2020 Staff Recognition and Reward Ceremony during which 35 outstanding members of staff were honoured for productivity and diligence in service delivery at the International Conference Centre, Abuja on Monday 14th March 14, 2022. The Minister emphasized that the quality and quantity of man and woman power commitment determines the quality of life and should be accorded adequate attention and care hence the institution of the awards to encourage better productivity from the staff. “I believe that human resources require more attention to get the best out of them and it is part of the reason why we undertake this process of recognition and reward ceremony to those who have given their skill, their time, some beyond the call of duty and who have demonstrated a commitment that is an enchantment to others,” he said. Fashola said that Civil and Public Servants are goal getters who can do everything and anything if they are challenged, stating that whatever government initiates, civil and public servants will deliver on them. “I also tell my colleagues when we hold our monthly meetings, that perhaps we have not paid enough attention to the activities and possibilities that lies in the public service. I truly believe that Civil and Public Servants can do everything and anything if they are challenged, if a government responds today and say I want to run a policy of education, civil service will deliver and if after an election and a change of government and it comes and says I want to deliver a programme on free education, the same civil service that delivered paid education will move again and deliver on free education,” he said. The Minister also reiterated government’s commitment to ensuring adequate and conducive environment for workers to thrive by making sure that the federal secretariats across the nation are in good working condition. “At our assumption of duty, we saw that the federal secretariats across the nation where some of our staff work require attention. Today, we have essentially refurbished, renovated and now undertaking daily and routine maintenance in 24 Federal Secretariats across the nation to make the place more habitable and hoping that this will provide better and more deserving work accommodation and better environment for civil and public servants not only in our Ministry but all Federal and Public staff employed in all states.” Fashola applauded the awardees and admonished them to keep on working hard, adding that the reward called for more work. He added that the awardees represent the 5000 staff strength of the Ministry nationwide who do the hard work, and make possible some of the things that seem impossible before now. “For me, the Nigerian Civil and Public Servants deserves to be resourced, rewarded and also to be accountable,” he said. In his welcome address, the Director Overseeing the Office of the Permanent Secretary Federal Ministry of Works and Housing, Engr. Chukwunwike Uzor said the awardees were carefully selected using quantifiable and objective parameters that ensured that the best candidate emerged from each of the category’s field of selection, explaining that it was necessary to ensure transparency, integrity in the mode of selection, and above all to achieve the objective of the exercise which promotes excellence. He congratulated the awardees and advised them not to rest on their oars, adding that to whom much is given, much is also expected. In her goodwill message, the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Dr. Folashade Yemi-Esan represented by the Permanent Secretary Staff Welfare, Office of the Head Of Service Dr. Ngozi Onwudiwe congratulated the Management and Staff of the Ministry for joining the train of MDAs that have accepted the need for recognition of the contribution of staff who have shown outstanding performance and exemplary conduct in the discharge of their duties towards the attainment of the mandates of the Ministry. She urged the awardees to be shining stars and examples for other members of staff and also continue to maintain the reputation of effective service delivery for which the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing is known in the public service. The Head of Service also encouraged those that were not so lucky at this year’s award to work harder to be the shining stars for recognition at the next recognition and award ceremony. The awards were in the categories of: Most Hardworking Junior Staff, Best Performing Senior Staff, Best Performing Task Team and Most Outstanding Director of the year. Responding on behalf of the recipients, the award winner of the Most Outstanding Director of the year, Director Highways, Planning and Development, Federal Ministry of Works and Housing, Engr. Ibi Terna Manasseh, thanked the management and staff of the ministry for the special award. ...