Umahi rejects claims that road projects are concentrated in South-East
Works Minister David Umahi has rejected allegations that federal road projects are being concentrated in Nigeria’s South-East. During an inspection of the Trans-Sahara Highway, he said projects followed presidential approvals and developmental priorities, while defending targeted borrowing and a mixed funding model for major infrastructure schemes.
Works Minister David Umahi has rejected allegations that the Federal Government is concentrating road projects in Nigeria’s South-East, saying projects nationwide are being executed in line with approvals from President Bola Tinubu. Umahi spoke during an inspection tour of the Trans-Sahara Highway project. The corridor begins at Afikpo in Ebonyi State and passes through Ador in Benue State, Nsukka in Enugu State and parts of Kogi State before reaching the Owete Bridge linking the route to the Federal Capital Territory.
The minister directed the contractor to begin work simultaneously on three designated sections. He also said he would cross the Ador Bridge during his next routine inspection. Umahi described online claims that he had diverted federal road projects to the South-East as unsupported by official records.
He said publications on ongoing projects showed that he was implementing decisions approved by the President. He said the South-East deserved substantial infrastructure investment but denied that this amounted to preferential treatment. Umahi added that the region might not rank among the first three zones in infrastructure development, but would not be left last.
The minister also defended government borrowing for projects he described as productive and high-impact. Referring to his time as governor of Ebonyi State, he cited a 199-kilometre ring road project financed through a $150m facility. Umahi said delaying infrastructure investment could increase costs and argued that borrowing was justified when funds were deployed productively.
He disclosed that the administration’s four legacy projects had received 30% direct naira funding from the Federal Government, with the remaining 70% obtained through foreign financing structures. He also denied that existing highways had been abandoned in favour of new routes, saying the roads used during the inspection had been expanded and rehabilitated. He urged support for the administration’s economic and infrastructure programmes.
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