Minister of Works, Senator Dave Umahi, has said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is delivering major road infrastructure projects in the South-East that were originally conceived during the colonial era but abandoned for decades.
Umahi said the projects, particularly the Calabar-Ebonyi-Benue Trans-Sahara Superhighway, are being actualised under the President’s Renewed Hope Agenda and are expected to transform economic activities across the South-East, South-South and North-Central regions.
The minister spoke on Saturday in Ebonyi State while leading senior journalists and government officials on an inspection tour of key federal infrastructure projects as part of the Renewed Hope National Media Tour.
Describing the superhighway as a long-forgotten colonial-era vision, Umahi commended Tinubu for reviving the project and ensuring that construction work is progressing.
In a statement issued by Director of Media and Publicity, of Renewed Hope Ambassadors, Tunde Rahman, Umahi said ‘it is a colonial-era dream long forgotten, but President Tinubu has revived it, and construction is now underway. We must thank him immensely’.
He explained that the Calabar-Ebonyi-Benue Trans-Sahara Superhighway is designed not only as a transportation corridor but also as a major economic route that will boost trade, agriculture and regional integration.
According to him, the highway will facilitate the movement of agricultural produce such as cassava, yams, cashews and palm oil from Cross River, Ebonyi and Benue States while strengthening economic links with neighbouring Cameroon.
‘The Trans-Sahara Superhighway is not just a road; it is an investment corridor that will catalyse trade in agricultural produce and connect Nigeria more effectively with neighbouring countries,’ he said.
Umahi disclosed that Section One of the project, originally designed as a 118-kilometre stretch, has been expanded to 123.6 kilometres, with a contract value of N45 billion.
He said dualisation works are ongoing, with some sections already recording about 28 per cent completion despite the rainy season.
The minister attributed the progress to the adoption of concrete pavement technology, which he said was pioneered by President Tinubu during his tenure as Governor of Lagos State and is now being deployed on major federal roads nationwide.
He further revealed that Section Two of the highway, stretching from the Ebonyi border through Benue and Kogi States to Nasarawa State, has been awarded at a cost of N668 billion.
According to him, the section covers 123.6 kilometres and extends to the Loko-Oweto Bridge corridor.
Umahi expressed appreciation to President Tinubu for what he described as a new era of inclusion for the South-East region.
‘All our forefathers sought-inclusiveness-we have it now,’ he said.
During the inspection tour, the delegation visited major infrastructure projects, including critical bridges along Section One of the superhighway and the concrete pavement corridor around Onueke.
The team also inspected the 1.3-kilometre Ndi-Egbe Bridge in Afikpo Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, which links the state with Cross River and is expected to be completed by December 2026.
The minister said the bridge would significantly improve connectivity and economic activities between communities in both states.
The delegation further inspected the completed concrete pavement link road connecting Okposi-Ukawu in Ohaozara Local Government Area of Ebonyi State with Ugwulangu-Abaomege in Cross River State.
Umahi also highlighted the strategic importance of the Onueke Flyover project in Ebonyi Central Senatorial District, describing it as a key intervention aimed at easing traffic congestion.
According to him, the N35 billion project features a 90-metre-high flyover with a 2.2-kilometre access road on both sides.
Meanwhile, Governor Francis Nwifuru of Ebonyi State used the occasion to commend President Tinubu for his commitment to infrastructure development in the South-East and across the country.
Receiving members of the media delegation in Abakaliki, the governor said the state had witnessed extensive development under both federal and state governments.
Nwifuru also declared Ebonyi the safest state in the federation, claiming that no kidnapping incident had been recorded in the state since he assumed office.
He said his administration had continued to invest heavily in infrastructure and social services across all local government areas.
‘We have kept contractors busy in the state with projects spread across every local government area, from rural roads to primary health centres and water schemes,’ the governor said.
‘We do not even view the road projects as a big deal because we have road projects scattered all over the state.’
The governor also praised Tinubu’s national renewal programme and expressed support for the President’s leadership.
As part of activities marking the media tour, South-East governors, political leaders and stakeholders are expected to gather in Abakaliki on Monday for a major rally in support of President Tinubu.
Umahi said Governor Nwifuru would lead the people of Ebonyi State at the event to demonstrate appreciation for the President’s interventions in the region.
He urged residents of the state to ignore opposition criticisms and instead focus on the infrastructure projects being executed by the administration.
The ongoing South-East inspection tour is organised by the Hope Uzodimma-led Renewed Hope Ambassadors in collaboration with the Presidential Media Team.
The delegation, led by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, and the Special Adviser on Media and Public Communications, Sunday Dare, is touring projects across the five South-East states.
After the Ebonyi leg of the tour, the team is scheduled to visit Enugu, Abia, Anambra and Imo states to inspect projects being implemented under the Renewed Hope Agenda.