A road project first dreamed up during colonial rule but abandoned for decades is finally under construction. That's what Minister of Works Dave Umahi told journalists on Saturday in Ebonyi State.
Umahi was leading a delegation of senior journalists and government officials on an inspection tour of Federal Government projects in the state. He said the Calabar-Ebonyi-Benue Trans-Saharan Superhighway is one of the flagship projects under President Bola Tinubu's Renewed Hope Agenda.
“It's 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 cut across the South-East, South-South and parts of the North-Central region. Umahi said it will transform economic activities in those areas.
Section One of the highway was originally designed as a 118-kilometre stretch but later extended to 123.6 kilometres. It's being built at a cost of N45 billion, with dualisation works progressing steadily.
Section Two, which runs through Benue and Kogi states to Nasarawa, has been awarded at a cost of N668 billion. Umahi said some parts have reached about 28 per cent completion.
Umahi credited the Tinubu administration's adoption of concrete road technology for allowing construction to continue even during the rainy season.
“The Trans-Sahara Superhighway isn't just a road; it's an investment corridor that will catalyse trade in agricultural produce such as cassava, yam, cashew and palm oil from Cross River, Benue and Ebonyi, while also connecting Nigeria to Cameroon,” he said.
The inspection team included the Acting Federal Controller of Works in Ebonyi, Maxwell Okoh, and Mohammed Mustafa, Project Manager of Infiouest International Limited. They inspected major bridges and concrete pavement sections along the highway.
The delegation also visited the 1.3-kilometre Ndi-Egbe Bridge in Afikpo Local Government Area of Ebonyi. The bridge, which links Ebonyi with Cross River State, is expected to be completed in December 2026.
Umahi and the team further inspected the N35 billion Onueke Flyover project in Ebonyi Central Senatorial District. The flyover is designed to ease traffic congestion along that corridor.
The team also toured a completed concrete-pavement link road connecting communities in Ebonyi and Cross River states.
Ebonyi State Governor Francis Nwifuru commended Tinubu for the ongoing infrastructure projects in the South-East. He said the administration is committed to national renewal.
Receiving the media delegation in Abakaliki, Nwifuru said his administration had sustained development projects across all local government areas of the state. These include roads, primary healthcare centres and water schemes.
“We've kept contractors busy in the state with projects spread across every local government area, from rural roads to primary health centres and water schemes,” he said.
The governor also maintained that Ebonyi remains one of the safest states in the country.
Umahi disclosed that South-East governors and leaders would converge in Abakaliki on Monday for a rally to endorse President Tinubu for a second term. According to him, Nwifuru will lead the people of Ebonyi at the event in appreciation of the President's support for the state and the region.
The National Media Tour is organised by the Renewed Hope Ambassadors in collaboration with the Presidential Media Team. The South-East tour follows an earlier inspection of Federal Government projects in the North-West zone. From Ebonyi, the delegation will proceed to Enugu before visiting Abia, Anambra and Imo states to inspect projects being executed under the Renewed Hope Agenda.