Federal Ministry of Works

Mar

2026

LATEST PRESS

UMAHI DECLARES AN END TO YEARS OF DEADLY TRAPS AND GRIDLOCK ON THE ENUGU–ONITSHA EXPRESSWAY, SETS MARCH 31 DEADLINE FOR REOPENING

The Honourable Minister of Works, Senator Engr. David Umahi, CON has declared that the long-troubled Enugu–Onitsha Expressway is fast shedding its grim past, as the Federal Government intensifies a sweeping infrastructure upgrade across the South-East under the President, His Excellency, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR.

Umahi made the declaration on Monday, March 23, 2026, during an inspection of ongoing projects in Enugu, including the Enugu–Onitsha Expressway and the Eke-Obinagu Flyover, where he expressed confidence that the era of consistent fatal accidents, endless traffic, and public frustration along the road is coming to an end.

“I’m going round the six geopolitical zones assessing what is possibly to be commissioned before May 29th by Mr President. There are mega project that the President will be available for before May 29th and we mean it,” the Minister said.

Once regarded as one of the most dangerous highways in the region, the Enugu–Onitsha road had for years been plagued by tanker explosions, loss of lives, and economic disruptions. But Umahi said decisive intervention by the Tinubu administration has changed the trajectory.

“Now this route, the Enugu-Onitsha expressway, you recall that when we came on board, everyday, people were talking about this road. There were a lot of tanker accidents, a lot of people died and so forth. But my joy is that the whole thing is a past story, because the President has swinged into action,” he stated.

The Minister disclosed that the dual carriageway, which spans 107 kilometres on each side, is undergoing a major structural shift, with a significant portion being converted from asphalt to concrete to ensure durability.

“It is not only that we are repairing this road… about half of it is going on to be concrete. I have no confidence in asphalt I continue to say it. By the time the asphalt fail we will have 50 percent of the road still intact and if it fails within the second tenure of the president then be rest assured that we will fix it,” he said.

He added that the same approach is being extended to sections in Anambra State, including the head bridge axis, where an initial asphalt design is being replaced with concrete pavement to align with modern highway standards.

“At the head Bridge we have 39k, we’re changing that to concrete so that we can have this coastal road type of road pavement there in Anambra and here in Enugu,”.

Beyond reconstruction, the project is also being enhanced with solar-powered street lighting and environmental features aimed at improving safety and sustainability.

“So that is going to happen but then not only that. We are putting solar light both for the one that was constructed before us and the one that is being done by us. Within the first one week we will have solar light up to this 1km and we continue we are also going to plant trees which is very important,” he added.

The Minister urged the people of the South-East to recognise the level of federal intervention in the region, noting that such attention to infrastructure was previously lacking.

“The people of South East have to be very grateful to Mr President. The reason is that we never had it like this. I was governor for 8 years and I can’t think of any Federal road project in Ebonyi State,” he said.

He also cautioned against divisive narratives, warning that some actors were misleading the public for selfish interests.

“I want to ask our people to be very very careful, there are people that pretend that they are helping us but they actually inciting us against government… we need to know when people are genuinely interested in our case,” he said.

Calling for sustained support for President Tinubu, Umahi described the ongoing works as part of a broader effort to correct past neglect and integrate the South-East more fully into national development.

“Let us allow this man that have started to right the wrong metted on us as the people of Southeast in the past. Let us allow him the next four years and we will be very much fully integrated,” he stated, adding, “To know the revolution that is going on in infrastructure… this is the Biafra we are looking for.”

As a major milestone, the Minister directed that the Enugu–Onitsha Expressway be reopened for public use on or before March 31.

“I have given the controller the authority, by the 31st or before, he should call the press to open this road, call the people of South East… let them know that this road is open for travel and that will be our Easter celebration,”.

Addressing concerns over project costs, Umahi clarified that the Ministry of Works does not unilaterally determine project pricing, noting that approvals pass through multiple regulatory layers, including the Bureau of Public Procurement and the Federal Executive Council.

“I’m not the final authority when it comes to the cost of a project, there are layers of approval, the Bureau of Public Procurement, their own stands and not my own,” he explained.

He maintained that the standard being applied to the Enugu–Onitsha project is consistent with major road projects across the country.

“The same road architecture as the Lagos-Calabar coastal highway and the Sokoto-Badagry Super Highway… so no discrimination with the president, everybody is the same,” Umahi said.

Mar

2020

Quality Infrastructure, Impacting Quality Education -Fashola The Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Raji Fashola,SAN said that the quality of infrastructural development within a country could un-debatably impact quality education and the learning environment. He made the remark at the handing over ceremony of a completed internal road intervention project by the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing at the University of Calabar, Cross River state. Fashola who was represented by the Federal Controller of Works Cross River State, Engr. Bassey Nsentip observed that the road completed had enhanced students mobility and reduced stress in the learning environment. He further stated that although the road intervention project was a civil works project, the Federal Government intends to invest in education by improving the ambience and environment of tertiary institutions to enhance academic activities. The Minister also disclosed that the Federal Government is presently working on the rehabilitation of 43 internal roads in federal tertiary institutions across the six geopolitical zones of the country out of which 18 had been completed and being handed over. He said the 1.17km road handed over to the University of Calabar was among such roads, urging the school authority and students to ensure the asset was used and maintained properly. Speaking earlier the Vice Chancellor University of Calabar,Prof. Zana Akpagu who was full of delight for the laudable initiative disclosed that prior to its rehabilitation, the road was in a deplorable state. He added that before the rehabilitation the road was inaccessible for students to go through especially during the rainy season. Prof. Akpagu said the road now enables easy access to the hostels, classrooms, the medical department and the chapel. He thanked the President and the Minister of Works and Housing for the road while believing that the government would do more roads and infrastructural interventions in future to help the university. Also in a chat with the media, the Director of Finance and Supplies Cross River State Ministry of Works,Mr.Ebere Ignatius thanked the Federal Government for the support and pledged more collaborations with the federal government. ...

Mar

2020

Build On Knowledge And Value- Fashola The Honourable Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN has urged builders in Nigeria to deploy knowledge and value in building projects, pointing out that it was the combination of both that give value to building. "We need to build on our knowledge and value. It is these that give meaning to the bricks and mould we use. If we build without knowledge, it will not last, " he said. Fashola made the remarks while receiving the Fellowship Award of the Nigerian Institute of Building in Abuja yesterday. The Minister used the occasion to debunk the news going round that Federal Government was planning to sell un-occupied houses. According to Fashola what the Government was saying was to encourage big house owners to break them to small units so that people can rent or buy them and start to make income from such houses. He also charged builders to build what people can use, instead of building big houses only to be left unused. He said, "Build to the sensitivity of the young generation by building small houses." Fashola thanked the Institute for the conferment of the award on behalf of the Ministry saying that it was a recognition of hard work and team spirit. "On my own, I will do my best to live up to the responsibility of encouraging the building of affordable houses", he stated. Earlier, the National President of the Nigerian Institute of Building, Builder Kunle Awobodu said that, "The conferment of the prestigious honorary fellowship of the institute is the highest recognition to be bestowed on an individual solely based on performance evaluation of which Fashola is a beneficiary." He said that construction of buildings is a barometer of a thriving economy, adding that what distinguishes a city from a town, and a town from a village is the number and quality of buildings. Speaking further, he stated that, " Any nation bereft of building codes is vulnerable to inappropriate building construction." He therefore called on manufacturers of building materials, artisans and professionals that the culture of doing it right must be embraced. He enjoined the Minister not to relent in his efforts to ensure the use of Nigeria's building code to guide building construction in Nigeria. ...

Mar

2020

FG Steps Up Road Infrastructure In Tertiary Institutions The Federal Government of Nigeria has reiterated its commitment to bridge the infrastructural gap across the country and in all sectors as it continues its internal road intervention project to boost education and make the learning environment more conducive for students. The Honourable Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Raji Fashola, expressed the government's commitment to bridging infrastructural gap while handing over a newly reconstructed 1.33 kilometres internal road by his Ministry at the Federal University Oye, Ekiti State. Speaking at the handing over ceremony, Fashola who was represented by the Ekiti State Federal Controller of Works Engr. Ishaq Lawalsaid that the intervention in internal roads construction within tertiary institutions is currently going on in 43 tertiary institutions, out of which 18 had been fully completed by the government of President Muhammadu Buhari, and admonished the school authority to ensure that the asset was maintained and not abused. The students of Federal University Oye, expressed renewed enthusiasm with regard to attending classes and becoming more zealous in the pursuit of their academic career as a result of the reconstructed road. Earlier In his welcome remarks, the Vice Chancellor of the University, Professor Kayode Shoremekun, thanked the federal government and the Ministry of Works and Housing for the reconstruction of over 1 kilometre internal road within the campus to ease vehicular movement and other activities. He urged the Minister not to abandon the school in subsequent budgetary provisions as more projects were begging for attention. He also appealed to the federal government to continue to partner with the school towards ensuring the provision of necessary social amenities to cater for over twenty thousand students of the university. The occasion was witnessed by top government officials and management staff of the institution. ...