Key points
- The Federal Government has completed more than 260 emergency road projects nationwide at a cost exceeding N250 billion.
- Works Minister Dave Umahi said more than 10 bridges had also been reconstructed in each state over the past three years.
- Repair works have commenced on the damaged section of Eko Bridge in Lagos.
- The government has deployed 40 guards to protect the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway from abuse and encroachment.
Main story
The Federal Government has completed more than 260 emergency road projects across the country at a cost of over N250 billion in the past three years, the Minister of Works, Sen. Dave Umahi, has said.
Umahi disclosed this on Sunday at a stakeholder engagement and flag-off of road projects in Lagos.
He said the government had also reconstructed more than 10 bridges in each state of the federation within the same period.
The minister said the projects formed part of the administration’s efforts to address critical infrastructure deficits and improve road connectivity across the country.
Umahi also highlighted measures taken by the ministry to strengthen transparency in the execution of federal road projects.
He said the ministry had opened its ongoing projects to scrutiny by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, which was invited to inspect procurement processes and project execution.
According to him, the ministry had also written to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to undertake a similar review.
Eko Bridge repairs
Umahi said the government had commenced remedial works on Eko Bridge in Lagos after identifying serious structural concerns on part of the bridge.
He explained that closing the entire affected section would have caused significant disruption to movement in Lagos, prompting the government to close only part of the carriageway while monitoring the crack daily.
The minister said the crack had not increased and that the immediate remedial work would involve reinstalling about seven piles, bypassing the affected section of the pile cap and installing a new pile cap.
He said the remedial intervention was expected to extend the affected section’s service life by between 15 and 20 years while a permanent solution was being designed.
According to Umahi, the permanent rehabilitation would involve jacking up the affected spans, demolishing the damaged pile caps, installing new pile caps and piers and subsequently replacing the slab.
Highway protection
The minister also explained the deployment of 40 guards to protect the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway.
He said the guards had been assigned to prevent hawking, loitering, commercial motorcycling and refuse dumping along the highway.
Umahi also called on the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps to take a more active role in protecting strategic road infrastructure, particularly by preventing illegal parking and other forms of encroachment.
The issues
The scale of emergency road repairs highlights the Federal Government’s response to deteriorating infrastructure across the country, while the condition of Eko Bridge illustrates the maintenance challenges facing major urban infrastructure. The government is also seeking to prevent the newly developed coastal highway from becoming exposed to activities that could damage or obstruct the corridor.
What’s being said
“We have also written to the EFCC to follow suit. It shows transparency, it shows commitment, it shows accountability.” – Dave Umahi, Minister of Works
What’s next
Remedial works will continue on the affected section of Eko Bridge while engineers work on the permanent rehabilitation design. The government is also expected to strengthen enforcement against activities that threaten the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway and other strategic road infrastructure.
Bottom line
The Federal Government says it has completed 260 emergency road projects worth more than N250 billion while continuing major bridge repairs and measures to protect strategic highways across the country.
