By Onu Okorie
Minister of Works, Senator Engr. David Umahi, on Saturday led a high-powered Federal Government delegation on a comprehensive inspection of ongoing federal road projects across Ebonyi State, using the occasion to champion what he described as a historic wave of infrastructure transformation being delivered by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu across the Southeast geopolitical zone.
The delegation was headed by the Presidential Adviser on Information and Strategy, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, and visited multiple project sites spanning key federal corridors across the state and the broader Southeast region.
Trans-Sahara Highway and the Calabar-Abuja Corridor
At the Calabar-Abuja project site, Umahi drew attention to a major flyover under construction along the Trans-Sahara Super Highway corridor, explaining its strategic importance to national connectivity.
“Let me say that this is the point where the Trans-Sahara Route takes a bend. The essence of this flyover is to resolve the conflict at this point,” the Minister stated.
He disclosed that the Federal Government has made budgetary provision in 2026 to connect the corridor directly to the Ebonyi State capital, covering an 18-kilometre stretch to the city centre.
Addressing concerns over contractor payments, Umahi assured that all outstanding obligations would be honoured, urging contractors not to halt work on any of the sites.
“Of course, the contractor has not been paid, but we are creditworthy. All contractors being owed will be paid. There should be no stoppage of work because we want to see if we can commission this project by December. The cost is ₦25 billion,” he said.
Providing updates on the flagship Trans-Sahara Super Highway, the Minister revealed that a ₦668 billion contract has been awarded and that construction is progressing steadily, with work continuing through the current rainy season.
“The project is about 28% completed. We are not stopping because of the rains. Work continues, especially with President Bola Tinubu’s concrete road technology,” Umahi said.
He traced the origin of the project to the colonial era, noting that what was once an unrealised dream spanning over six decades is now becoming a reality under the Tinubu administration.
“We presented the concept to the President, a man divinely called to do the impossible. What was once a colonial dream is now being realized more than sixty years later.”
The Minister described the highway as a critical economic and trade corridor that will connect Nigeria to Cameroon and open up agricultural opportunities in rice-producing areas across Cross River, Benue, and Ebonyi States.
Umahi was emphatic that the four signature legacy projects of the Tinubu administration — the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, the Sokoto-Badagry Super Highway, the Calabar-Ebonyi-Benue-Kogi-
“The four legacy projects of Mr. President are not merely road construction projects; they are investments,” he declared.
Drawing parallels with global economic practice, the Minister explained that infrastructure spending remains one of the most potent tools for economic stimulation.
“In countries such as the United States, whenever there is an economic downturn, governments invest heavily in roads and bridges because such investments stimulate growth across other sectors of the economy. That is exactly what the President is doing.”
He revealed that plans along these corridors include dams, irrigation systems, power infrastructure, agricultural settlements, housing developments, factories, hotels, and renewable energy facilities, with both direct and indirect employment opportunities expected for millions of Nigerians.
On specific project updates, Umahi disclosed that the 51-kilometre Okposi-Ohaozara-Ukawu-Cross River road project, valued at ₦53 billion, is nearing completion. One section has surpassed 90 percent completion, while another stands at approximately 60 percent.
The Federal Government, he added, has also included in the 2026 budget an extension of the road to Akam, the location of the newly approved South-East Army Depot, with additional contractors already deployed along the Enugu axis. A new flyover has equally been planned at Okposi to ease traffic flow and boost connectivity.
Beyond infrastructure, Umahi used the occasion to make a pointed political statement, announcing that the Southeast is set to formally adopt President Tinubu as its preferred candidate ahead of the next political cycle.
“The people of the South-East are very appreciative of what the President is doing. By Monday, under the leadership of the Governor of Ebonyi State, we will demonstrate this appreciation when we adopt the President as our sole candidate and, of course, the Governor,” he said.
The Minister further stressed that the Southeast now has clear and tangible proof of federal inclusion under Tinubu, declaring that the region is no longer sidelined in national infrastructure planning.
“The South-East has been included. Inclusiveness, fairness and equity are what we have always sought, and today we can point to tangible evidence of that inclusion.”
He closed with a personal tribute to the President, saying: “President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, God brought you. God will continue to guide and preserve you. We stand with you for the years ahead.”