|By Adejumo Adekunle
The Federal Government requires a staggering ₦3 trillion to complete road projects initiated under the Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) tax credit scheme, following the corporation’s decision to stop funding from August 1.
Minister of Works, David Umahi, disclosed this to journalists on Wednesday in Abuja, revealing that President Bola Tinubu has directed the ministry to explore urgent alternative financing options to avoid project abandonment.
“Our President is a man with a large heart,” Umahi said. “Despite the funding halt by NNPCL, he directed us to look into alternative funding mechanisms to ensure no road project is left incomplete.”
Umahi explained that the ministry has compiled a comprehensive list of affected road contracts and is preparing a detailed memo for the President. The proposal will seek approval for Public-Private Partnership (PPP) arrangements, particularly for contractors with proven capacity and funding strength.
“We are going to prepare a memo to the President on that,” he added.
Highlighting ongoing interventions, Umahi said construction has resumed on critical routes including the Benin-Warri, Benin-Asaba, and the Lagos-Ota-Abeokuta roads, alongside the Bayelsa-Delta axis leading to the First Niger Bridge.
He listed additional road projects receiving attention:
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North Central: Koton Karfe and Keffi bridges, the Katsina-Ala road through Benue
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South-West: Kabba-Ekiti road
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South-South: Benin Bypass
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North-East: Emergency repairs from Gombe through Bauchi to Azare, and the expansive Kano-Maiduguri road
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Other corridors: Bauchi-Jigawa, Akwanga-Jos-Bauchi, Gombe-Bauchi, Kwara-Jebba-Mokwa roads
Minister of State for Works, Malam Bello Goronyo, praised President Tinubu’s commitment to infrastructure development and lauded the media for highlighting the ministry’s efforts. He urged journalists to verify information before publishing to avoid misinformation.
Also speaking, the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Mr. Olufunsho Adebiyi, debunked claims of regional marginalisation in project allocation. He clarified that multiple factors — including terrain, material costs, and technical requirements — influence the cost of constructing one kilometre of road.
