FEC Approves Key Road Projects, Orders Demolition of Lagos’ Carter Bridge

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the construction and reconstruction of six major road projects across Nigeria as part of efforts to expand the country’s transport infrastructure, with plans also underway to demolish and replace the ageing Carter Bridge in Lagos.

The Minister of Works, Dav Umahi, disclosed the approvals on Wednesday, outlining a series of projects spanning multiple regions of the country and costing hundreds of billions of naira.

Among the approvals is the completion of the long-delayed Suleja–Minna Road, which had previously been awarded to Salini Construction Company before the contract was terminated over poor performance.

Umahi said the contractor managed to complete only 10 kilometres of the project before the agreement was cancelled, leaving the bulk of the work unfinished.

According to him, the government has now approved the completion of the remaining 71 kilometres of the dual carriageway. One carriageway has been awarded to China Geo-Engineering Corporation (CGC) at a cost of ₦91 billion, while the second carriageway has already received clearance from the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP).

In Lagos, the Federal Government has also approved the design and costing of a new Carter Bridge after technical assessments concluded that the existing structure can no longer be rehabilitated.

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Umahi said consultants have been engaged to prepare the groundwork for the replacement project.

“Design and costing of a new Carter Bridge project in Lagos for ₦5.6 billion,” he said, noting that studies and stakeholder consultations showed that “the existing Carter Bridge structure can no longer be rehabilitated and must be demolished and replaced.”

He added that Advanced Engineering Consultants has been tasked with carrying out the detailed design and cost evaluation ahead of the procurement process for the bridge’s construction.

Another major project approved is the review and rescoping of the 132-kilometre Kano–Kongolam Road linking Kano, Jigawa and Katsina states.

Originally conceived as an asphalt road under a tax credit arrangement in 2022, the project has now been redesigned as a three-lane concrete carriageway.

The minister explained that the upgraded plan will incorporate solar-powered streetlights and closed-circuit television (CCTV) installations to improve security along the corridor, with the revised cost estimated at ₦334 billion.

The Federal Government has also approved the reconstruction of the Abuja–Lokoja Road after terminating contracts previously awarded to two underperforming contractors.

Umahi said the affected 86-kilometre section will now be rebuilt using reinforced concrete and handled by five contractors, including Julius Berger, which is already executing other portions of the corridor.

The reconstruction is estimated to cost ₦146 billion.

Similarly, the government has approved the reconstruction of the 103-kilometre Ibadan–Ife–Ilesa Road, a dual carriageway valued at ₦427 billion.

Umahi noted that although the project was initially awarded by the previous administration, it recorded little progress before the current government reviewed and re-awarded the contract.

Also approved is the second phase of the Keffi–Nasarawa–Abaji Road rehabilitation project, covering 129.3 kilometres at a cost of ₦203 billion.

According to the minister, the project is expected to significantly strengthen road connectivity between Nasarawa State and the Federal Capital Territory.

Umahi further revealed that the Federal Government plans to commission several completed projects across the country in the coming months.

He said the administration is targeting the commissioning of at least four major road projects in each of the six geopolitical zones by May 15.