Tinubu’s Administration Inherits N979bn, a staggering 38 uncompleted road projects from the Muhammadu Buhari government. This revelation comes after an extensive analysis of the 2023 budget and cross-checking with the national monitoring and evaluation platform, EYEMARK, launched by Buhari last year.
Despite former President Buhari’s assurances to complete these roads before the end of his tenure, multiple vital road networks were left unfinished due to financial constraints and other obstacles. Among the critical projects left in limbo is the expansion of the Abuja-Keffi dual carriageway and the dualization of the Keffi-Akwanga-Lafia-Makurdi road in Nasarawa State.
Notably, several key projects still awaiting completion include the Benue State Phase 1, Lafia bypass, 9th mile (Enugu)-Otukpo-Makurdi Road in Enugu and Benue States Phase II, estimated to cost about N32.5 billion. Furthermore, the rehabilitation of the Ikorodu-Shagamu Road, including the access road to Mosimi in Lagos State, carries a price tag of N100 million. The full scope development of the Federal Capital Territory Highway 105 (Kuje Road) from the airport expressway to the outer Southern Expressway with Spur at Kyami District, valued at N54.95 billion, remains unfinished.
Another major project on the list is the dualization of the Akure-Ado Ekiti Road in Ondo/Ekiti states, which is projected to cost N90 billion. Additionally, the construction of Bichi township roads (N1.40 billion), Dawakin Tofa-Gwarzo-Dayi Road in Kano (N2 billion), 5.4km Abuja-Keffi Expressway, and the 220km Keffi-Akwanga-Lafia-Makurdi federal roads in the North-Central geo-political zone, awarded for N166.36 billion, are still pending completion.
Tinubu’s Administration Inherits N979bn and other projects include the Keffi-Akwanga-Lafia road project valued at N101.1 billion, the Chanchangi bridge along the Takum-Wukari road in Taraba State costing N100 million, and the dualization of the Jattu-Fugar-Agenebode road and the reconstruction of Irekpa-Fugar-Agenebode road in Edo State at the cost of N250 million.
The infamous Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, handled by Julius Berger Nigeria Plc and RCC, which reportedly carries a price tag of approximately N315 billion, is currently at 85% completion. However, the prolonged construction period has caused immense hardship for motorists and commuters, who spend hours in traffic daily.
To address these issues, the Director of Highways South-West, Adedamola Kuti, reassured the public on Sunday that all outstanding projects would be completed. Emphasizing the commitment of the new administration, Kuti stated, “If the new administration has taken over the uncompleted tasks, we will ensure that those projects are completed. We are working hard, and no project will be abandoned.”
While the government has earmarked N25 billion in the 2023 budget to pay off local contractors this year, this amount is significantly lower than the N11 trillion owed to local contractors by successive administrations. Local contractors, who have completed various highway and infrastructure projects across the country and possess certificates of completion, have protested the failure of authorities to pay them for contracts executed up to 12 years ago.
The President of the Local Contractors Association of Nigeria, Dandy Rowland, has previously stated that the government owed members of the association N28 billion. Former Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, also acknowledged during the ministry’s 2023 budget defense that N765 billion in unpaid completion certificates remained outstanding, while the government is committed to ongoing highway contractors to the tune of about N10.4 trillion.
The delayed payment to contractors is attributed to the ongoing harmonization process with the finance ministry, according to a highly placed source in the ministry. Unfortunately, there is no specific timeframe provided for when the contractors will receive their payments.
However, the freeze on financial transactions by the ministries, departments, and agencies imposed by the current administration has not hindered payment to contractors involved in ongoing road projects. Contractors continue to be paid because their budget falls under the capital vote and is directly handled by the federal government. Despite the challenging circumstances, the completion of these crucial road projects remains a priority for President Tinubu’s administration, as they strive to address the infrastructure deficit and improve the overall transportation network across the country.
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