The Federal Government has reiterated its commitment to deliver the outstanding portion of the Abuja-Kaduna project by year’s end.
According to report, since the project’s contract was given on December 20, 2018, the government has pledged multiple times to finish it.
To lessen adverse impacts on road users, work on the Kaduna-Abuja highway and the Zaria-Kano road would be finished in early 2023, according to a statement made in October 2022 by Umar El-Yakub, the former minister of state for works and housing.
According to Babatunde Fashola, the previous Minister of Works and Housing, the current administration was unable to deliver on its commitment in April 2023 because of the security issues that arose in 2022 and the relocation of certain communities along the 265-kilometer route that passes through Zaria.
However, the Minister of Works, David Umahi, gave assurance that the ministry is prepared to overcome any challenges and guarantee project delivery for Nigerians’ benefit before the end of 2024 during a meeting with all of the ministry’s directors on Thursday in Abuja.
The former governor of Ebonyi State claims that the contractors have asked for an examination of the N1.3 billion project financing price.
Umahi said, “We have about 1.7 kilometers left of Abuja-Kaduna in two sections. The ministry has some supervision work to be done tomorrow on that road and we will be advised on the real designs of the two sections.
“Funding is also an issue because it is under the presidential development fund initiative gotten from looted funds. I have had to discuss with Mr president about the importance of the road for all Northerners.
“But I won’t be able to go back to him until we re-scope it because the project was N165bn before and a review brought the cost to N655bn but today the contractor is asking for N1.35trillion and the government cannot afford it.
“What they are asking is very wrong. So we are looking at existing sub-grade and see what we can do about it. We are also looking at the first 40km to be constructed by Dangote under the Tax credit scheme to do it on concrete pavement but I am very committed to completing that road this year. No matter what happens, that road will be done this year.”
The reconstruction of the Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano Expressway, currently handled by Julius Berger is funded under the Presidential Development fund initiatives and is divided into three sections.