The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved N427 billion for the reconstruction of the Ibadan–Ife–Ilesa Road in southwestern Nigeria. The decision was announced on Wednesday after the council's meeting chaired by President Bola Tinubu at the State House in Abuja .
Minister of Works, David Umahi, briefed State House correspondents on the outcome of the meeting. He said the project covers the reconstruction of a 103-kilometre dual carriageway, which is a major route linking Oyo and Osun states to other parts of the southwest region .
Umahi explained that the contract for the road was initially awarded by a previous administration. He stated that there was minimal progress on the project before the current administration took over, which led to a review and the decision to re-award the contract .
The minister noted that the terrible condition of the road had caused significant hardship for motorists. He said he had personally travelled on the route and spent seven hours on the journey due to the state of the road .
According to Umahi, some sections of the highway have completely collapsed and are beyond repair. He said this made a complete reconstruction necessary rather than palliative work .
The minister also acknowledged the contribution of the Osun State Government to the project. He said the state government had constructed about five kilometres of the dualised road to a high standard, which reduced the scope of work for the federal government .
The Ibadan–Ife–Ilesa Road project is one of six major infrastructure approvals granted by the council. The other projects include the Kano–Kongolam Road, which was redesigned as a three-lane concrete carriageway with solar lights and CCTV at a cost of N334 billion .
FEC also approved N203 billion for Phase Two of the Keffi–Nasarawa–Abaji Road rehabilitation, covering 129.3 kilometres. The project is expected to improve connectivity between Nasarawa State and the Federal Capital Territory .
The council approved N91 billion for the completion of the remaining 71 kilometres of the Suleja–Minna Road. The contract was awarded to China Geo-Engineering Corporation after the previous contract with Salini Construction Company was terminated for poor performance .
For the Abuja–Lokoja Road, FEC approved N146 billion for the reconstruction of an 86-kilometre section. The road will be built using reinforced concrete and will be handled by multiple contractors, including Julius Berger .
In Lagos, the council approved N5.6 billion for the detailed design and costing of a new Carter Bridge. Umahi said technical evaluations showed the existing bridge could no longer be rehabilitated and must be demolished . Advanced Engineering Consultants has been engaged for the design phase .
Umahi said the government plans to commission at least four completed road projects in each of the six geo-political zones by May 15. He said these were major infrastructure projects and not palliative works .