52 percent of roads under construction are in North – Works ministry

The Federal Ministry of Works has stated that 52 percent of roads it is working on are in the northern part of the country.

In a statement, the Director of Press and Pubic Relations at the ministry, refuted the claim that the government is only focusing on roads in the south.

Muhammad stated that figures show that out of a total of 2,735km of the Legacy Projects initiated by the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the North has a cumulative total of 1,414km, while the South has 1,321km, amounting to a percentage ratio of 52:48 respectively.

“Furthermore, out of eighty-two (82) Sukuk-funded ongoing projects, the North has forty-five (45), while the South has 37 projects. Of the 260 emergency projects, 98 are being executed in the South, while 108 numbers are in the South. Additionally, out of the 44 road projects executed under the Road Tax Credit Scheme, 23 are domiciled in the North, while 21 numbers are in the South.”

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Ahmed stated it has continued to work diligently, transparently and fairly in implementing the distribution of the ongoing road and bridge infrastructure interventions, nationwide.

“This applies to both the projects funded through budgetary provisions and other funding models such as the Renewed Hope Infrastructure Fund, SUKUK, Tax Credit Scheme in financing the Renewed Hope Legacy Road Projects, inherited ongoing projects and the emergency intervention ones.”

“The Honourable Minister of Works, Sen. (Engr.) Nweze David Umahi, CON, FNSE, FNATE has commendably and unprecedentedly stepped up project monitoring and supervision mechanisms on these projects spread across the six (6) geo-political zones, and Nigerians can attest to the fact that every zone has its fair share in the distribution of the ongoing projects.

“To further illustrate the sense of fairness in the treatment of all parts of Nigeria by the Renewed Hope administration, at the last Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting of 23rd September, 2024, it approved the construction of 258 km 3-lane carriageway using continuously reinforced concrete pavement in Kebbi and Sokoto States – part of the 1,000km Sokoto – Badagry Superhighway, completion of the construction of the Bodo-Bonny Road with bridges across the Opobo Channel in Rivers State, the rescoping and downward review of the contract to rehabilitate the Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano Dual Carriageway, the construction of Cross River to Oferekpe road and the rehabilitation of Kabba (Kogi State) – Iyamoye-Omuo-Ikole-Ifaki-Ado Ekiti (Ekiti State) road, the repair of the Gamboru Bridge along Gamboru-Ngala-Kala Balde road in Borno State, the repair of the damaged loops and ramps of the Third Mainland Bridge Superstructure, the rehabilitation of Adeniji-Falomo roads, the construction of service lanes for the Lekki Deep Sea Port through Epe to Shagamu-Benin Expressway, the dualisation of Afikpo-Uturu-Okigwe Road in Ebonyi, Abia and Imo states, and the repair of 14 bridges, roads, and flooded sections of Federal Highways nationwide. The distribution of the aforementioned approved projects shows, as always, that fairness is a fundamental principle in the Renewed Hope agenda of Mr. President.”