The Minister of Works, David Umahi, has instructed federal road contractors to stop closing project sites without official authorisation.
Umahi made the announcement during an emergency meeting with directors and contractors of the Federal Ministry of Works on Tuesday in Abuja, criticizing some contractors for abandoning sites under the pretext of holidays despite deteriorating road conditions nationwide.
He emphasized that strategic highways and bridges must remain operational during the holiday season and beyond.
Directors in the Federal Ministry of Works and Federal Controllers of Works across the country were also directed to suspend holiday plans and stay on site to ensure ongoing projects do not obstruct traffic during the festive period.
Road projects like the Abuja–Lokoja Expressway, the Abuja drainage canals, and key corridors in Sokoto, Katsina, and Kebbi states were singled out as projects that “must not be closed under any circumstances” due to their strategic importance.
“No contractor is permitted to close a site without the approval of the Federal Ministry of Works. Some sites must not close at all. Abuja–Lokoja cannot close. Some corridors are simply too critical. We would like some of our contractors who may be taking holidays to understand what is going on at their sites. Don’t close the roads. Open them for vehicular movements,” Umahi said.
He acknowledged that recent disruptions on the Abuja–Lokoja highway had embarrassed the government but called for patience as emergency interventions were underway to restore traffic flow.
Describing the traffic gridlock as “very embarrassing,” the minister ordered measures to further open the road to ease vehicular movement ahead of Christmas.
Umahi also highlighted persistent congestion on the Enugu–Onitsha Road and called for urgent, coordinated action by contractors and supervising officials to remove bottlenecks and ensure smooth traffic on all major federal highways.
The minister commended contractors for embracing President Bola Tinubu’s shift from asphalt to concrete road technology, calling it a “difficult but necessary transition” to enhance durability and reduce recurrent failures.
“I commend you for agreeing to adapt to the new policy of Mr President on concrete road technology. Many of you even requested that your projects be changed from asphalt to concrete. That is not easy, but it is necessary,” he said.
He explained that asphalt roads often fail within 10 to 15 years due to drainage problems and poor soil conditions, whereas concrete roads have longer lifespans if properly constructed.
Beyond construction methods, Umahi announced a sweeping reorganisation of the Ministry of Works, with directors and senior engineers redeployed to supervise projects directly in the field.
“Everybody is going to the field. Only the Permanent Secretary and I will remain in the office. Every director will supervise a major project and performance will be judged strictly by output,” he said, stressing that poor supervision was a major challenge in federal infrastructure delivery and pledging to end “office-based engineering.”
Contractors managing inherited projects originally awarded under the Niger Delta Development Commission and other agencies were informed that payment responsibilities had shifted fully to the Ministry of Works, following a presidential directive.
“All inherited NDDC and related projects will continue, but those agencies will no longer pay you. The Ministry of Works will take over payment, and contracts will be re-scoped to what can realistically be delivered within nine months,” Umahi said.
He warned that advance payments would be recovered through banks if contractors failed to mobilise, and stressed that financial indiscipline would no longer be tolerated.
The minister further revealed that Tinubu had approved payment of outstanding certified liabilities estimated at N263bn, instructing relevant agencies to work with the Federal Inland Revenue Service to expedite disbursement. All claims will undergo fresh verification, with total outstanding certificates since 2020 standing at about N2.1tn, requiring reconciliation to eliminate inflated or unsupported claims.
Umahi also announced plans to digitalise project monitoring, including the creation of zonal project portals for real-time updates, valuations, and certifications. The system aims to complete evaluations and certifications within 48 hours, improve transparency, and reduce delays from manual processes.
On maintenance, the minister ordered immediate pothole repairs nationwide and declared that no road controller or engineer would be allowed to “go on holiday” while critical routes deteriorated.
“Nigerians are tired of excuses. We will no longer commission solar lights; we will commission roads and bridges that last,” he said.
Since taking office, Tinubu has prioritised road infrastructure as part of his economic recovery plan, directing the Ministry of Works to adopt cost-efficient technologies, complete inherited projects, and strengthen contractor oversight.