John Alechenu, Abuja

The Federal Government has vowed to complete and deliver the remaining section of the Abuja-Kaduna road before the end of 2024.

This is not the first time such promises have been made since the contract for the road was awarded on December 20, 2018.

The Minister of Works, Senator Dave Umahi, made the latest promise on behalf of the Federal Government during a meeting with directors of his ministry, in Abuja, on Thursday.

Umahi said the ministry under his watch was prepared to remove all contractual obstacles and ensure delivery of the project for the benefit of Nigerians before the end of 2024.

Umahi said, “We have about 1.7 kilometers left of Abuja-Kaduna in two sections. The ministry has some supervision work to be done tomorrow 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 Northerners.

“But I won’t be able to go back to him until we re-scope it because the project was N165bn before and a review brought the cost to N655bn but today the contractor is asking for N1.35trillion and the government cannot afford it.

“What they are asking is very wrong. So,
we are looking at existing sub-grade and see what we can do about 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.”

The reconstruction of the Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano Expressway, currently handled by Julius Berger, is being funded under the Presidential Development fund initiatives and is divided into three sections.

Recall that In October 2022, the former minister of State, Works and Housing, Umar El-Yakub, said work on the Kaduna-Abuja highway, and Zaria-Kano road would be completed in early 2023 to reduce negative effects on road users.

A similar promise was made by the former Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, in April 2023.

He explained that the then administration could not fulfill its promise to complete the project due to security challenges experienced in 2022 as well the relocation of some communities on the Zaria section of the 265km road project.