The Federal Government has disclosed that it needs a total of ₦3 trillion to complete several critical road projects that were initiated under the Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) tax credit scheme.
The revelation came from the Minister of Works, David Umahi, during a press briefing held in Abuja, where he explained the challenges currently facing the ministry following the suspension of funding by the NNPCL.
Umahi stated that the NNPCL had officially ceased its financial support for road infrastructure projects as of August 1, leaving numerous projects across the country without funding. In response, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed the Ministry of Works to urgently explore new sources of funding to avoid the abandonment of these projects.
“Our President is a man with a large heart. Despite the funding stoppage by NNPCL, Mr President, as Chairman of the Federal Executive Council (FEC), directed that alternative funding mechanisms be put in place to ensure completion of all projects,” Umahi said, emphasizing the President’s resolve to ensure continuity.
According to the minister, the ministry has already compiled a comprehensive list of the affected road projects and will be forwarding a formal proposal to the President. Part of the plan includes transitioning some of the contracts to a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model, particularly in cases where contractors have the financial strength and technical capacity to deliver.
“We are going to prepare a memo to the President on that,” Umahi affirmed.
Highlighting the scope of work already ongoing across the nation, Umahi mentioned progress on key roadways such as the Benin-Warri and Benin-Asaba roads leading to the First Niger Bridge. He also confirmed that work has resumed on the Lagos-Ota-Abeokuta road, along with projects in the Bayelsa and Delta regions. In the North Central zone, approval has been granted for the execution of the Koton Karfe and Keffi bridges as well as the Katsina-Ala road through Benue State.
In the South-South, construction continues on the Kabba-Ekiti road and the Benin bypass. Umahi further identified several critical emergency projects in the Northeast, including the Gombe-Bauchi-Azare route and the extensive Kano to Maiduguri road.
Other projects currently being handled include the Bauchi to Jigawa road, the Akwanga-Jos-Bauchi axis, the Gombe-Bauchi highway, as well as the Kwara-Jebba and Mokwa roads.
The Minister of State for Works, Malam Bello Goronyo, also spoke at the briefing and lauded President Tinubu’s commitment to road infrastructure, describing it as unprecedented. “This is a president that has shown an uncommon commitment to fixing our roads that were neglected hitherto for more than 45 to 47 years,” Goronyo said, adding that the results are tangible and evident across the country.
Goronyo also praised the media for their role in publicizing the ministry’s efforts and urged journalists to always confirm information before publication to prevent the spread of misinformation.
In his remarks, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Works, Mr. Olufunsho Adebiyi, addressed public claims of regional bias in the distribution of road projects. He refuted such claims, explaining that a wide range of environmental and logistical factors determine the cost of constructing one kilometre of road in different parts of the country.
“So what you need to fix a one-kilometre road in Bayelsa may do up to 10 in Katsina. Why? Because of the terrain, the water table, the nearness to the materials required and so many things required,” Adebiyi explained, encouraging citizens to understand the complexities that come with executing road projects across diverse terrains.
What you should know
Following NNPCL’s withdrawal of funding support for major infrastructure, the Federal Government now faces a ₦3 trillion gap to complete several road projects.
The Works Ministry plans to seek alternative funding, including PPP arrangements, as the Tinubu administration pushes forward with its national road development agenda.
