The Minister of Works, David Umahi, says President Bola Tinubu’s administration is ending over three decades of substandard road construction in Nigeria through durable and high-quality infrastructure projects nationwide.
Speaking during the inspection of the Abuja–Kaduna–Kano road project on Tuesday, Umahi said the Federal Government had adopted new engineering standards and technologies to ensure roads last between 50 and 100 years without major repairs.
He noted that roads built in the last 30 years had been substandard, as each administration repeatedly fixed the same routes due to poor construction methods. “President Bola Tinubu is not constructing roads; he is building roads,” Umahi said, adding that the new approach would serve as a model for future projects.
He faulted contractors’ previous methods, explaining that grinding old asphalt with laterite weakened the sub-base, leading to early failure. “When you remove the old laterite and bring in new material, it lacks proper compaction and consolidation, which is why the roads fail even during construction,” he explained.
Umahi said asphalt has a shelf life of only 25 years, unlike the concrete design being used on the Abuja–Kaduna–Kano highway, which is expected to last up to 50 years. He assured that Section 1 of the project would be completed ahead of schedule by February 2026.
According to him, the president has already released over N120 billion for the first phase, covering about 118 kilometres. Of this, 86 kilometres are built on concrete, while 17 kilometres are wearing course in Kano. He added that Tinubu also approved an additional 12 kilometres at the end of the Kano section, which has been completed and fitted with solar lights.
Minister of State for Works, Bello Goronyo, commended Umahi and the project team for their dedication, noting that 285 pieces of equipment were deployed along the route to ensure timely completion. “We are here to serve and deliver on time, or even before schedule,” Goronyo said.