Federal Ministry of Works

Jul

2026

LATEST PRESS

FG FLAGS OFF CONSTRUCTION OF AKWANGA–JOS–BAUCHI–GOMBE–BIU—MAIDUGURI SUPERHIGHWAY, COMMISSIONS AKWANGA TOWNSHIP DUAL CARRIAGEWAY AND UNDERPASS

The Federal Government has officially flagged off the construction of Section One of the 700-kilometre Akwanga–Jos–Bauchi–Gombe–Biu—Maiduguri Superhighway, reaffirming President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR's commitment to delivering transformative infrastructure under the Renewed Hope Agenda.

The flag-off ceremony, held on the 1st July, 2026, in Akwanga, Nasarawa State, where the President, His Excellency Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, was represented by the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Prof. Nentawe Goshwe Yilwatda, stated that the project is one of the President's four Renewed Hope Legacy Road Projects, designed to transform Nigeria's transportation network, strengthen national integration, improve security, facilitate trade, and stimulate economic growth across the North-Central and North-East geopolitical zones.

The first phase of the project covers approximately 125 kilometres from Akwanga in Nasarawa State to Jos in Plateau State and forms part of the larger 700-kilometre, six-lane, continuously reinforced concrete pavement (CRCP) superhighway stretching through Nasarawa, Kaduna, Plateau, Bauchi, Gombe, Yobe, and Borno States.
The President's representative praised the Minister of Works for his exceptional leadership and dedication to transforming Nigeria's road sector, describing him as one of the administration's most outstanding performers.
He described the Minister of Works as “the shining light of the Renewed Hope Administration.”

Speaking at the ceremony, the Honourable Minister of Works, Engr. Sen. David Umahi, CON, FNSE, FNATE, disclosed that the project is a landmark investment that will improve connectivity, reduce travel time, enhance road safety, lower transportation costs, create jobs, and unlock the region’s economic potential. He explained that the Akwanga–Maiduguri Superhighway is one of four legacy highway corridors being implemented simultaneously by the Federal Government, alongside the Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway, the Sokoto–Badagry, and the Calabar–Abuja (Trans Sahara) Superhighways.

The Minister reiterated the Federal Government's commitment to CRCP technology to ensure greater durability, lower maintenance costs, and a lifespan of up to 100 years. He commended President Tinubu for his untiring support for infrastructure development and urged the contractor to deliver quality work, while engaging local communities through employment, skills acquisition, and technology transfer.

The President's representative also commissioned the newly completed Akwanga Township Dual Carriageway and Underpass, executed by the Nasarawa State Government under the leadership of the Governor, His Excellency, Engr. Abdullahi Sule, CON. He commended him for complementing the Federal Government's infrastructure drive through strategic investments in road development across the state.

In his Welcome Address, the Honourable Minister of State for Works, Bello Muhammad Goronyo, Esq., stated that the Superhighway would serve as a major transportation corridor linking North-Central and North-East Nigeria, while facilitating trade, agriculture, investment, and national security.

Also speaking at the well-attended event, the Honourable Minister of Information and National Orientation, Alhaji Mohammad Idris, highlighted the Federal Government's unprecedented investment in infrastructure, education, healthcare, and economic reforms, noting that the Renewed Hope Agenda is delivering tangible benefits across all sectors and the country.

The Honourable Minister of Women Affairs, Hon. Imaan Sulaiman Ibrahim, described the project as another demonstration of the administration's commitment to inclusive development, noting that investments in infrastructure are being complemented by programmes supporting businesses, women, and youth development.

Governor Sule expressed appreciation to President Tinubu for approving the project, describing it as a strategic national corridor that will connect communities, boost commerce, and attract investments across the region.

Speaking on behalf of the benefiting states, Governor Barr. Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang of Plateau State said the commencement of the project is the fulfilment of a long-standing aspiration of the people of the region and commended the Federal Government for making its promise a reality.

The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Works, Mr. Rafiu Olarinre Adeladan, stated that the project represents a new era in highway development in Nigeria and reaffirmed the Ministry's commitment to quality delivery, transparency, and value for money.

The Managing Director of CGC (Nig.) Ltd., Engr. Zhong Xiang assured the Federal Government, the State Governors on the road’s corridor, and all Nigerians of the company's readiness to deliver the project safely, professionally, on schedule, and in accordance with international standards and best practices.

The Federal Ministry of Works reaffirmed its commitment to delivering strategic road infrastructure that will strengthen national unity, promote inclusive economic growth, and improve the quality of life of Nigerians, in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of the Administration of President Tinubu, GCFR.

Dec

2024

GORONYO COMMISSIONS ROAD PROJECT IN LAGOS The Honourable Minister of State for Works, HMSW, Muhammad Bello Goronyo, Esq, has on Tuesday, 3rd December, 2024 commissioned a recently recovered critically failed road at Ijora Causeway situated within the Apopa- Ijora Local Government Area of Lagos State. The road, built on rigid pavement through direct labour, was completed up to about 80% under the supervision of the Federal Emergency Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA). Speaking at the occasion, the HMSW noted that the road will impact positively on the economic well-being of the community, it will also help to mitigate youth unemployment, insecurity and threats to communal peace. While commending FERMA for its prompt response to the plight of the community, he charged them to react proactively to ensure the remaining portion of the road is fixed before the end of the year, as it aligns with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, who according to him is running an infrastructure-friendly administration. He enjoined the leaders and people to take full ownership of the facility to prevent it from abuse. The representative of the Ojora of Ijora, who was unavoidably absent, Chief Samsudeen Ojora expressed the appreciation of His Royal Majesty and the indigenes of the community for the recovery and reconstruction of the road, which, as he emphasised, was hitherto impassable, terrible and an eyesore. He appealed to the Minister and FERMA to ensure the speedy completion of the remaining portion of the project. He further pledged the unalloyed support and continuous prayers of the Oba for the Federal Government. The MD/CEO of FERMA, Dr. Chukwuemeka Agbasi commended the Oba of Ijora and the people residing in the community for their good manners, support and cooperation, while the project was ongoing. Dr. Agbasi promised that FERMA will continue to do their best in adding value to road management in the country. ...

Dec

2024

CALL ERRING CONTRACTORS TO ORDER... GORONYO CHARGES FERMA. The Honourable Minister of State, Federal Ministry of Works, HMSW, Mohammed Bello Goronyo Esq, has charged the Managing Director/ CEO of Federal Emergency and Roads Maintenance Agency, (FERMA), to warn contractors who fail to deliver on their contract awards to desist. He said the era of abandoning projects is over. These contracts are awarded and paid through the tax payers money who desire value for their money. The list of defaulting Contractors must be made available to the Headquarters not later than next week. He also proposed the need for a strong Technical Committee that will criss-cross the country to monitor FERMA projects with a view to ascertaining the quality of their deliveries. The Honourable Minister made these remarks on Monday 2nd November, 2024, during his familiarisation tour of the South West section of FERMA, where the State Coordinators made presentations before the HMSW on the progress, challenges and expectations in the cause of the discharge of their duties. Goronyo commended the Federal Road Management Engineers, ( FRME), from the South-West States, assuring them that all issues raised will be looked into to make FERMA great and successful. He was quick to add that though the challenges are real, huge and enormous, they are not insurmountable. “The country must tighten up its belt and combat the challenges frontally. We have been drawing from a well without water for so long. We now have a President who is willing to face the challenges head on without complaining. We must be ready to support one another and do things differently. We must all support His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to deliver on his mandate.” He remarked. The HMSW pledged to pay unscheduled visits to contract sites to have a first hand knowledge of the commitment of contractors to projects, while also assuring that Staff Welfare is a paramount issue of concern which will not be toyed with. ...

Dec

2024

MINISTER COMMISSIONS SOLAR-POWERED STREETLIGHT PROJECT IN LAGOS The Honorable Minister of State for Works (HMSW), Muhammad Bello Goronyo, Esq, has commissioned a solar- powered streetlight project in Lagos on Monday, 2nd December, 2024. The streetlights being provided by the Federal Emergency Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA), are a relief and a welcome development for the residents of the community of Isale- Eko in Lagos State. Goronyo identified the benefits of the project to include improvement in the socioeconomic well-being, as well as mitigating insecurity challenges confronting the area. “This aligns well with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR,” he added. The Minister further urged residents to take full ownership of the project with a view to safeguarding it from vandalization by unscrupulous elements. The HMSW, on an earlier Courtesy Visit to His Royal Majesty, the Oba of Lagos, Rilwan Babatunde Osuolale Akiolu, in his Iga Idugaran Palace, noted that the initiative is part of a conscious effort by the Federal Government at investing in renewable energy solutions, stating that “as a responsible Government, we have to continue to do more to improve the wellbeing of our teeming communities.” He solicited for prayers and support of His Royal Majesty and indeed Nigerians to be able to do more for the overall growth and development of the nation. Speaking at the Palace, the Managing Director/CEO of FERMA, Engr. Dr. Chukwuemeka Agbasi, thanked the Oba for the warm reception accorded the entourage, also stated that the installation of the solar powered lights will provide extended hours for trading and, therefore, arrest unemployment among the youth. While commending the community for providing an enabling atmosphere for the installation of the facility, Engr. Agbasi, cautioned against vandalisation, pledging that FERMA has resolved not shirk in its responsibility to ensure adequate maintenance, as well as deliver value in road maintenance in the community and the state. Responding, HRM Oba Akiolu, appreciated the Honourable Minister for the visit, noting that FERMA has been wonderful and cooperative in the discharge of its duties to the community. His Royal Majesty also used the occasion to warn miscreants and criminals to desist from vandalising public goods and infrastructure, assuring that Nigerians will laugh soon as the Government of the day is responsible and working very hard to put things right. Patience, the Monarch emphasised, is the keyword, while appealing to Nigerians to give peace a chance. ...

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Nov

2025

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Aug

2021

FG Assures Motorists Of Commitment To Road Infrastructure

The Federal Government has assured the Public of its commitment to infrastructure development in the country, adding that all roads affected by flash floods are noted and are receiving required attention.

Speaking in the Ministry after receiving an interim report of on- the -spot assessment of the Abuja -Lokoja flash flood and the bridge in Gwaram Local Government Area of Jigawa State, The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Works and Housing Babangida Hussaini, stated that the Ministry was looking into all the issues of flooding on the nation’s roads

On the Abuja -Lokoja road , he said the flash flood at the weekend was caused by excessive rain and that as soon as the rain subsided , the flood receded, and the road has been opened to traffic since Saturday.

On the bridge in Gwaram Local Government Area of Jigawa State the Permanent Secretary noted the prompt response of Jigawa State by diverting traffic to an alternative route and commenced repair works on the bridge immediately, he therefore commended the state governments and the stakeholders for their efforts in supporting Mr. President’s commitment to road and infrastructure development.

He assured the Jigawa State Government of the Ministry’s technical support as at when needed. He said the professionals in the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing are always available to provide technical support to states in all the roads and bridges construction activities.

SPEECHES

Nov

2019

Speech Delivered By The Honourable Minister Of Works And Housing, Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN At The Opening Ceremony Of The 70th Session Of The Trans Sahara Road Liaison Committee (TRLC)

PROTOCOLS

I am pleased to welcome the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency, Muhammadu Buhari, who is represented by Muhammad Maigari Dingyadi, Hon. Minister of Police Affairs to the 70th Session of the Trans Sahara Road Liaison Committee. I especially thank his Excellency, on behalf of the Trans Sahara Road Liaison Committee for granting us the approval to host this Session in Nigeria.

2. I will also like to extend a special welcome to Member Country Ministers in charge of road infrastructure from Republic of Tunisia, Peoples Democratic Republic of Algeria, Republic of Mali, Republic of T’chad and Republic of the Niger. The last Ministerial meeting of the TRLC was held in 2014 in Algiers, Algeria therefore I believe there is a lot of information the Secretariat and the Experts will be sharing with us over the next two days.

3. Every session of the TRLC has the objective of discussing issues relating to the route, the financing and relationship with continental organisations such as the African Union Commission (AUC), African Development Bank (AfDB), New Partnership for African Development (NEPAD), Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA) and Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) who are our partners in the development of the Trans Sahara Road (TSR).

4. In this light, the TRLC member countries would like to appreciate the contributions of these organisations in no small measure towards the development of the route.

5. Before going into some of the details, I believe that Nigeria’s hosting of this event, necessitates that we provide some background information about what this is about and what it means for ordinary Nigerians:

* To start with it is useful for every African to be aware of the existence of a Trans African Highway Plan seeking to connect Africa from Cape Town to Tunisia either by driving through East Africa Border, the West African Border or through the Centre of Africa.

* There is also a Coast to Coast connectivity from West to East Africa, North East Africa to North West Africa and South West Africa to East Africa.

* A total of 9 (Nine) Highways at different stages of construction are meant to achieve this connectivity. Three of these Highways pass through the Territory of Nigeria, namely:

(a) Lagos – Dakar (through Seme in Benin Republic);
(b) Lagos – Mombasa (through Yaoundè in Cameroon); and
(c) Lagos – Algiers, which is the one supported by this Committee and this is the subject of our meeting.

* This road covers 9,022km (7,171km 80%) is asphalt while 1,851km (20%) is earth road.

* It serves 37 regions, 74 urban centres with 60 million inhabitants in 6 (six) Countries who are members of this Committee. It is important to underscore here that the critical part of the Trans Sahara Highway which in centuries past is plied by Camels and Horses for trade has now developed for use by vehicles.

* For Nigerians it is important to know that 1,131km of the 9,022km passes through our country from Lagos to Ibadan, Ilorin – Jebba, Kaduna – Kano – Kongolam where we have a border with Niger Republic.

6. The development of the Trans Sahara Route is to ensure integration, improvement of economic activities and cooperation between Member Countries. This will provide the business community access to explore and maximise the enormous economic opportunities available within member countries. There are immense possibilities from Fashion, Agriculture, Technology, Energy to Film and Music.The journey from 1960 when the Trans Sahara Route (TSR) was established till date has not been easy, but concerted efforts must be made at realising the objectives of the TSR.

7. The entire section of the 1,131km long Trans Sahara Route in Nigeria from Lagos – Ibadan – Ilorin – Kaduna – Kano – Kongolam Niger Republic Border has asphalt surfacing. The current activity on the various section of the route are as follows:

* The Lagos-Ibadan road is 127km long. The Lagos-Shagamu section (43.6Km) is being developed into a 3-lane dual carriageway while the Shagamu-Ibadan section (83.4Km) is being reconstructed as a 2-lane dual carriageway.

* The Ibadan-Ilorin section of the road is a dual carriageway of 160km long out of which 105.5km has been dualised leaving only 54.2km that is in progress of being dualised. The old alignment is being maintained to ensure free flow of traffic at all times.

* The Ilorin-Jebba-Birnin Gwari-Kaduna section of the route is 458km long single lane carriageway. The Ilorin-Jebba section that is 105km long has been fully rehabilitated and is currently being dualised while the Jebba-Mokwa-Birnin Gwari-Kaduna section (353km) is also being considered for future dualisation.

* Kaduna – Kano dual carriageway which is 230km long is under reconstruction and the work is currently being executed in three sections to enable speedy completion.

* Kano – Kazaure – Kongolam Section is 133km long and is a single lane carriageway.

8. The progress of works that we are achieving on these routes in the coming weeks and months will strengthen integration, cultural cooperation and economic trade and competition in the African Continental Free Trade Area.

9. The importance of the Trans Sahara Route to the Nigeria economy is underlined by the priority Mr. President has placed on the funding, wherein, the reconstruction of the Lagos – Ibadan Section and the Kaduna – Kano Section is included under Presidential Infrastructure Development Fund (PIDF) to ensure that there is no funding gap associated with the execution of the works, and the recent signing of the African Continental Free Trade Area (ACFTA) Treaty.

10. While Trade and cultural integration are important, safety is also paramount and I am delighted to announce that just last Wednesday the Federal Executive Council approved that Nigeria should ratify and domesticate the African Road Safety Charter adopted at 26th ordinary session of the African Union Commission in January 2016 in Addis Ababa.

11. Once more, my gratitude goes to His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari for hosting of the 70th session of the TRLC in Nigeria and the support given to the development of the section of the Trans Sahara road in Nigeria, to the Member Country Ministers for the support they have given to the development of the Trans Sahara Road within their respective countries and for the support of our financial partners over the years.

12. I also congratulate Member Country Experts and the Secretary General for a job well done and to remind you that there is still a lot of work that is yet to be accomplished.

13. You are all welcome to the 70th Session of the Trans Sahara Road Liaison Committee, you are most welcome to Abuja, the capital city of Nigeria, and you are especially welcome to Nigeria.

Thank you.

Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN
Honourable Minister
November, 2019