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.

Nov

2019

Road: Trans Sahara Committee Inspects Roads Within Nigerian Territory The Trans-Saharan Road Liaison Committee (TRLC) has inspected some of the road projects within the Nigerian territory as part of activities lined up for the 70th session of the committee which took place in Abuja, Nigeria from the 11th -12th of November 2019 The Member countries of the TLC are; Niger, Mali , Algeria Chad ,Tunisia and Nigeria. Nigeria's Minister of Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola,SAN who conducted his colleagues round the project sites said “ it is the tradition of the committee that the host country should take other members on inspection of the road projects under its territory in order to see level of progress and compliance on the routes. Fashola explained that Nigeria accounts for over 1000 kilometets length out of the over 9000 kilometers roads in the six sub-saharan countries. He further explained that in compliance with the local content executive order, Nigerian companies are given preference over foreign companies in the award of the contracts. Accordingly the Minister also stated that there were nine highways at different levels of construction that would connect Nigeria with the rest of Africa along the Trans-Sahara routes, pointing out that the ultimate aim was to transform those roads to highways of vehicles and trucks to link them to the ports for ease of doing business. The Minister listed Lagos - Algiers as one of such routes that would connect Nigeria with other parts of Africa, saying that the route cuts across Lagos-Ibadan, Oyo , Ogbomosho, Ilorin, Jebba , Mokwa, Kaduna and Kano leading to the Niger Republic. The team inspected the rehabilitation works of Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano dual carriageway which is being handled by Julius Berger Nig Ltd, the 5.4Km Abuja –Keffi expressway and dualisation of Keffi-Akwanga -Lafia-Makurdi road being handled by China Harbour Engineering Company Limited. The delegation from the member countries on the inspection commended Nigerian Government for the local content policy in the construction industry, hoping that such could be replicated in other member countries. ...

Nov

2019

Reconstruction of Trans Sahara Highways within Nigerian Territory in Advanced Stage - Fashola Honourable Minister of Works and Housing,Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola SAN, has disclosed that the reconstruction of the major highways that link Nigeria's borders with the six member states of the Trans Sahara Road namely: Chad, Niger, Tunisia, Mali and Algeria is 80% asphalted. Fashola made the disclosure at the opening ceremony of the 70th session and meeting of the Trans Sahara Road Liaison Committee (TRLC) which Nigeria is hosting in Abuja. The ministers in charge of roads in the six countries are taking part at the meeting. The objective of the meeting of the TRLC member countries was to discuss and share knowledge on how to improve African connectivity, integration and trade. Fashola noted that the over 9000 kms Trans Sahara Road Which serves about 37 regions in Africa and connects about 74 urban cities and 60 million people across six countries if completed would create immense opportunities in Agriculture, information technology and the fashion industry among others, adding that most of the roads that were plied by horses and carmels are presently motorable. According to the Minister, “Now if you appreciate that these roads, roads of horses and camels are now the roads of vehicles and trucks, you can imagine the opportunities that lie ahead as we converge here.” He further noted that Nigeria is part of the large urban network of opportunity as the rehabilitation and reconstruction of the Trans Sahara Road would intensify cultural and economic exchange of goods and services across the African region. Accordingly, the Minister also stated that the reconstruction of these major roads are due to their busy nature, adding that heavy duty trucks of about 5000 in number ply these roads on a regular basis. He listed some roads in the trans sharan route such as: the Abuja- Kaduna- Kano , Lagos - Ibadan-Ilorin-Jebba among others which are at different stages of completion. In an address by the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari delivered by his representative, the Minister of Police Affairs Alhaji Mohammed Dingyadi,the Mr.President reiterated the committment of his administration to introduce change in Nigeria geared towards a sustainable and quality infrastructure development to drive economic development and job creation. He explained that provision of road infrastructure was meant to increase Nigeria’s trunks of roads to ease the cost and time of doing business and improve economic competiveness in Nigeria's Economic Recovery Growth Plan (ERGP). The President, however, maintained that his administration “shares the vision of the Trans Sahara Road Liaison Committee to develop the section of the Trans Sahara road within their respective territories.” The President also charged the delegates attending the meeting to remain committed to the prompt delivery of the crucial development of road transport infrastructure for the benefit of the people in member states. In his address, the Secretary General of the Trans Sahara Road Liaison Committee, Mr. Ayadi Mohammed, commended President Muhammadu Buhari, the Honourable Minister for Works and Housing Babatunde Raji Fashola SAN ,the Honourable Minister of State for Works and Housing, Engineer Abubakar Aliyu and the management and staff of the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing for their hospitality and reception given to the delegates. He added that the member countries of the Trans Sahara and Committee have the task to build excellent relationship that would stimulate trade in the region. ...

Nov

2019

Mobolaji Johnson : Fashola Mourns Passage Of An Illustrious Pioneer The Minister of Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola SAN has expressed deep sadness and condoled with the Government and people of Lagos State over the death of the first Military Governor of the State, Brigadier- General Mobolaji Johnson. Fashola, who served for two tenures as the 13th Governor of Lagos State from 2007 – 2015, described General Johnson as an illustrious pioneer, a man of singular vision, integrity and unwavering duty whose loss is “one that is shared by an entire nation.” According to the Minister, “General Johnson was a dedicated soldier and public servant and a loving husband and father. As the first governor of the newly created Lagos State in 1967, he faced immediate challenges in leading a restive federal capital territory. He handled those challenges with tremendous courage and unwavering grace.” Noting that the late elder statesman established a strong administrative structure for the State, Fashola declared : “Beyond governing a state which was at the heart of a divisive national civil war, General Johnson was an administrative trailblazer. Along with key civil servants like Adeyemi-Bero and Folarin Coker, he laid a template for civil service practices and procedures which set Lagos State apart as a centre of excellence.” Recalling his appeal, as Governor, during the launch of the Biography of the late Brigadier Mobolaji Johnson titled, Lagos State-My Life of Service with Integrity, in 2010, that past leaders should document their periods of Stewardship, Fashola noted that such documentation that showed the great infrastructural strides like how the Lagos City Hall was built, how the Badagry Expressway was constructed, how the Adeniran Ogunsanya Shopping Complex was built, among several others would serve as inspiration to future leaders that things were successfully done before and could still be done again. Fashola said he would personally miss the wise counsel and support of GeneralJohnson. “During my own tenure as Lagos State Governor, General Johnson was always ready with counsel and advice. If there was any public event or occasion regarding the welfare of the state, his towering figure was certain to be found present,” he said.¥ “On behalf of my wife, Abimbola, we extend our deepest condolences to his entire family. His loss is one that is shared by an entire nation,” Fashola said. ...