Sen. Dave Umahi, Minister of Works, announced that major South-East road projects initiated during the colonial era but abandoned are now being realized under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
Umahi made this statement on Saturday in Ebonyi during an inspection tour of Federal Government projects with senior journalists and government officials.
This was contained in a statement by Mr. Tunde Rahman, Director of Media and Publicity for the Renewed Hope Ambassadors, on Sunday.
The minister highlighted the Calabar-Ebonyi-Benue Trans-Saharan Superhighway as a flagship project poised to transform economic activities across the South-East, South-South, and parts of North-Central Nigeria.
“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.
He disclosed that Section One of the highway, originally designed as 118 kilometers but later extended to 123.6 km, is being constructed at a cost of N45 billion, with steady progress on dualisation works.
Section Two, connecting Benue, Kogi, and Nasarawa states, has been awarded at N668 billion and is about 28% complete in some areas.
Umahi stated that the adoption of concrete road technology by the Tinubu administration has allowed construction to continue despite the rainy season.
“The Trans-Sahara Superhighway is not just a road; it’s an investment corridor that will boost trade in agricultural products like cassava, yam, cashew, and palm oil from Cross River, Benue, and Ebonyi, while also linking Nigeria to Cameroon,” he explained.
He expressed appreciation on behalf of the South-East for the President’s commitment to inclusiveness and infrastructure development in the region.
During the inspection, the delegation—including Acting Federal Controller of Works in Ebonyi, Maxwell Okoh, and Mohammed Mustafa, Project Manager of Infiouest International Limited—reviewed major bridges and concrete pavement sections along the highway.
They also visited the 1.3 km Ndi-Egbe Bridge in Afikpo Local Government Area, Ebonyi, which is expected to be completed in December 2026.
Additionally, the team inspected the N35 billion Onueke Flyover project in Ebonyi Central, aimed at easing traffic congestion, and toured the completed concrete-pavement link road connecting communities in Ebonyi and Cross River states.
Meanwhile, Ebonyi Governor Francis Nwifuru commended Tinubu for ongoing infrastructure projects in the South-East and for his administration’s commitment to national renewal.
Receiving the media team in Abakaliki, Nwifuru said his administration had maintained development across all local government areas, including roads, healthcare centers, and water schemes.
He also affirmed that Ebonyi remains one of Nigeria’s safest states.
Umahi disclosed that South-East governors and leaders would gather in Abakaliki on Monday for a rally to endorse President Tinubu’s bid for a second term, with Nwifuru leading the region’s support.
The National Media Tour is organized by the Renewed Hope Ambassadors and the Presidential Media Team.
The South-East tour follows an earlier project inspection in the North-West zone.
From Ebonyi, the delegation will move to Enugu, then visit Abia, Anambra, and Imo states to review projects under the Renewed Hope Agenda.
