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.

Feb

2017

FG to Boost Economy by Consolidating on Existing Housing Projects Across The Nation The federal government has reiterated that it will consolidate on the various existing housing projects across the nation as a way of boosting the economy and taking Nigeria out of the present economy recession. The minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN, stated this while presenting the 2017 budget proposal of the Housing Sector of the ministry at the Joint Committee on Works, Power, Housing and Urban Development recently. The minister, while giving an overview of the 2016 appropriation noted that despite the delay in budget passage of 2016 coupled with the process of finalization/standardization of the prototype designs for the National Housing Projects which was concluded around December, the ministry has issued award letters to competent and successful contractors. The contractors, who have since been mobilized, have moved to their various sites to commence work. He further stated that the ministry was only able to achieve about 57 per cent of the estimated budget appropriation in 2016 due to paucity of funds and delay in releases, adding that the ministry will have done better if sufficient funds were released for designated projects. Fashola said that the country will soon begin to feel the impact as laid-off workers have been re-absorbed, more are being employed, goods and services are in exchange and the local economy of the various project locations/sites around the country are now taking shapes. While giving the broad framework of the proposal for 2017, the minister noted that the highlight of this year’s budget will focus mainly on the National Housing Programme, completion and award of new federal secretariats in some states of the federation and payment of outstanding local debt to contractors, adding that this in the overall will positively impact on the nation’s economy. The chairman, Joint committee on Works, Power and Housing Urban Development, Hon. Ahmed Babba Usman Keita thanked the minister and his team for their efforts and requested that the minister should furnish the committee with a detailed breakdown and clarifications of the proposed 2017 budget to help in facilitating necessary appropriation for the ministry. Hon. Keita also assured the minister that the committee will use every constitutional means available to it to ensure the release of adequate funds to the ministry. ...

Feb

2017

FG To Ensure Speedy Completion of Projects in the South –East The Minister of Power, Works, and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola says the present administration led by President Muhammadu Buhari will ensure that contractors handling federal road projects in the South- East complete them within the specified time frame. Mr. Fashola who stated this when he visited the Anambra State Governor, Chief Willie Obiano at Governor’s Lodge, Amawbia said the Federal Government had put modalities in motion for the prompt release of funds and monitoring of the projects. The Minister, who said that he was in Anambra State to rap- up his inspection tour of federal roads in the South East, noted that it was the intention of Federal Government to ensure that the roads, especially those connecting the States within the zone and with other regions were in good motorable condition. Mr. Fashola who disclosed that alternative measures were been put in place to end the frequent failure of the Ninth-Mile-Ugwu Onyeama section of the Enugu – Onitsha Expressway pointed out that time and economic activities have improved in places where work had been completed on the Port Harcourt highway. He reiterated the commitment of the present administration to support the state governments in the zone to achieve their development objectives and appealed to them to allow their Commissioners of Works to liaise with Federal Controllers in their areas to workout modalities for more efficient service delivery. On the issue of Second Niger Bridge as well as the power situation in the country, the Minister explained that the Federal Government last year gave approval for early pilling works at the site, while it had adopted a three pronged approach to address the power challenges in the Country. Governor Willie Obiano who expressed delight that the bad portion of the Umunya-Awkuzu axis of the Enugu- Onitsha Expressway would soon be included in the ongoing reconstruction of the highway appealed for more Federal Government presence in the area. He pledged the support of Anambra State Government to the efforts of Federal Government to transform the Country. In their separate remarks, the Federal Controllers of Works and Housing respectively in Anambra State, Messrs Edward Bosah and Newton Okorafor assured of the Federal Government commitment to initiate meaningful development in the South- East zone. ...

Feb

2017

FG Not Competing With States But Ready To Support - Fashola. Directs Federal Controllers of Works as Ambassadors to maintain good working relations with States. The Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN has directed Federal Controllers of Works to work in collaboration with State Governments towards the rehabilitation of Federal Roads within their domain, maintaining that the government of President Buhari is not in competition with them but ready to support them in order to build good roads in the country. Fashola who is on an inspection tour of road projects in the South-East geo-political zone stated this during a courtesy visit on the Governor of Imo State, Owelle Rochas Okorocha, OON who was represented by the Deputy Governor, Prince Eze Madumere, MFR. The Minister said he embarked on the tour in order to verify reports of on-going rehabilitation works he had received and to further establish other areas of co-operation and assistance between the Federal and State Governments. He reiterated the repositioning of Federal Controllers of Works in various states as Ambassadors of the Federal Government who should be in cordial relationship with their host communities so as to develop good and efficient road infrastructure network across the country. The Minister emphasized that efforts are being made to ensure the provision of good, motorable roads across the country and to cause this to happen, the government released funds in 2016 to contractors who were being owed for the last three years. The contractors have since returned back to their respective construction sites, thus recalling their worker which has had multiplier effect on the nation’s economy. The Federal Controller of Works in Imo State, Engineer Oluwatoyin Obikoya, who briefed the gathering, gave a rundown of the various stages of all Federal Roads in the state and the completion stages of those that are presently under rehabilitation/reconstruction. Responding, the Deputy Governor expressed appreciation for the visit and stated that the Minister's presence in the south-east would give hope to the people and credence to the fact that the All Peoples Congress (APC) Government of President Muhamadu Buhari is concerned about their welfare and will not relent in giving the required attention to Federal roads in the South-East geo-political zone so as to grow the economy of the people, the states and the nation. Prince Madumere remarked that the visit marks the first time the presence of the Federal Ministry of Works would be felt in the state, as such the visit will avail the Minister the opportunity to appreciate the challenges faced by the people in the road sector. He added that there shouldn't be any difference between Federal and State Roads reiterating that the concern of the Imo State Government is for the people to be able to move their goods and services around in the interest of the people of the state and the generality of Nigerians. ...