Minister of Works David Umahi has stated that President Bola Tinubu is making significant progress on long-abandoned road projects in the South-East region, including infrastructure plans originally conceived during the colonial era but left unrealized for decades. Umahi made these remarks on Saturday in Ebonyi State while leading senior journalists and government officials on an inspection tour of key federal road projects under the administration's Renewed Hope Agenda.
Revival of the Calabar-Ebonyi-Benue Trans-Saharan Superhighway
Umahi highlighted the Calabar-Ebonyi-Benue Trans-Saharan Superhighway as one of the most strategic projects currently being executed by the Federal Government. He described it as a long-forgotten vision that has now been revived by the Tinubu administration. "It is a colonial-era dream long forgotten, but President Tinubu has revived it, and construction is now underway. We must thank him immensely," Umahi said.
The highway is expected to serve as a major economic corridor linking parts of the South-East, South-South, and North-Central regions while boosting trade and regional connectivity. According to Umahi, Section One of the project, initially designed as a 118-kilometre stretch, has been extended to 123.6 kilometres at a contract sum of N45 billion, with dualisation work already in progress. He disclosed that Section Two, which traverses parts of Benue, Kogi, and Nasarawa states, has also been awarded at a cost of N668 billion.
Umahi noted that some sections of the project have attained about 28 per cent completion despite the rainy season, attributing the pace of work to the adoption of concrete pavement technology. "The Trans-Sahara Superhighway is not just a road; it is an investment corridor that will catalyse trade in agricultural produce like cassava, yams, cashews, and palm oil from Cross River, Benue, and Ebonyi, while also connecting Nigeria to Cameroon," he said.
Concrete Road Technology and Regional Inclusion
The minister further stated that the concrete road technology pioneered by President Tinubu during his tenure as governor of Lagos State is now being deployed across the country to improve road durability. Umahi also expressed appreciation to the President on behalf of the South-East, saying the region is now enjoying greater inclusion in federal infrastructure development. "All our forefathers sought; inclusiveness, we have it now," he added.
During the tour, the delegation inspected major infrastructure projects, including critical bridges along Section One of the superhighway and the concrete pavement on the Onueke axis. The team also visited the 1.3-kilometre Ndi-Egbe Bridge in Afikpo Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, which links the state with Cross River and is expected to be completed by December 2026. Attention was equally focused on the Onueke Flyover project in Ebonyi Central Senatorial District. Umahi said the N35 billion project was designed to ease traffic congestion and improve movement along the corridor.
The delegation further inspected the completed concrete pavement link road connecting communities in Ebonyi and Cross River states through the Okposi-Ukawu and Ugwulangu-Abaomege axis.
Governor Nwifuru Highlights Safety and Development
Meanwhile, Ebonyi State Governor Francis Nwifuru said the state remains one of the safest in the country, claiming that no kidnapping incident had been recorded since he assumed office. Receiving members of the media delegation in Abakaliki, the governor commended President Tinubu for ongoing federal infrastructure projects in the South-East and highlighted several development projects being executed by his administration. "We have kept contractors busy in the state with projects spread across every local government area, from rural roads to primary health centres and water schemes," Nwifuru said.
The inspection tour was organised by the Renewed Hope Ambassadors in collaboration with the Presidential Media Team as part of efforts to showcase projects being executed under the Tinubu administration. The delegation, led by the President's Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, and Special Adviser on Media and Public Communications, Sunday Dare, is expected to continue its South-East tour with visits to Enugu, Abia, Anambra, and Imo states.
Umahi also disclosed that South-East governors and political leaders would gather in Abakaliki on Monday for a rally in support of President Tinubu's second-term bid, with Governor Nwifuru expected to lead the people of Ebonyi State at the event.
