Nigeria’s Minister of Works, Engr. David Umahi, has stated that the Ministry will complete by the end of January 2024, a comprehensive review of all construction contract performances with the private sector under its Highway Development and Management Initiative (HDMI).
He said, “There is a need to review our project agreements and costs. When we give the right costing, the little resources we have will be able to go a long way towards meeting the expectations. We are to review what has been so disadvantageous to our road construction.”
Regarding funding for the Ministry, he said that if allocated N892 billion “…it will be properly utilised, it will be transparent for everybody to see.”
He promised to complete the Abuja-Kaduna Expressway before the close of 2024. He mentioned that preparations for the project are in progress, but funding poses a challenge as the contractor, Julius Berger, is requesting an impractical sum of 1.3 trillion naira.
The minister also said, “We have about 1.7 kilometers left of Abuja-Kaduna in two sections. The ministry has some supervision work to be done on that road and we will be advised on the real designs of the two sections.
“Funding is also an issue because it is under the presidential development fund initiative gotten from looted funds. I have had to discuss with Mr president about the importance of the road for all users. But I won’t be able to go back to him until we re-scope it because the project was N165 billion before and a review brought the cost to N655 billion but today the contractor is asking for N1.35 trillion and the government cannot afford it….. We are also looking at the first 40km to be constructed by Dangote under the Tax credit scheme to do it on concrete pavement but I am very committed to completing that road this year. No matter what happens, that road will be done this year.”
