By Nkechi Eze
The Minister of Works, David Umahi, has declared that the long-troubled Enugu–Onitsha Expressway is on course for a major transformation, as the Federal Government intensifies infrastructure upgrades across the South-East under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Umahi made the declaration on Monday, March 23, 2026, during an inspection of ongoing projects in Enugu, including the Enugu–Onitsha Expressway and the Eke-Obinagu Flyover. The visit, according to a statement signed by his Senior Special Assistant on Media, Francis Nwaze, forms part of the Minister’s nationwide assessment of projects slated for commissioning ahead of May 29.
“I’m going round the six geopolitical zones assessing what is possibly to be commissioned before May 29th by Mr President. There are mega projects that the President will be available for before May 29th and we mean it,” Umahi said.
Once regarded as one of the most dangerous highways in the region, the Enugu–Onitsha road had for years been associated with tanker explosions, frequent accidents, and heavy traffic congestion. However, the Minister said the narrative is rapidly changing due to decisive interventions by the current administration.
“Now this route, the Enugu-Onitsha expressway, you recall that when we came on board, everyday, people were talking about this road. There were a lot of tanker accidents, a lot of people died and so forth. But my joy is that the whole thing is a past story, because the President has swinged into action,” he stated.
Umahi disclosed that the dual carriageway, spanning 107 kilometres on each side, is undergoing a significant structural upgrade, with about half of the road being converted from asphalt to concrete to enhance durability.
“It is not only that we are repairing this road… about half of it is going on to be concrete. I have no confidence in asphalt I continue to say it. By the time the asphalt fail we will have 50 percent of the road still intact and if it fails within the second tenure of the president then be rest assured that we will fix it,” he said.
He added that similar upgrades are ongoing in Anambra State, particularly around the head bridge axis, where existing asphalt designs are being replaced with concrete pavement to align with modern standards.
“At the head Bridge we have 39k, we’re changing that to concrete so that we can have this coastal road type of road pavement there in Anambra and here in Enugu,” he explained.
Beyond reconstruction, the Minister said the project includes solar-powered street lighting and environmental enhancements such as tree planting to improve safety and sustainability.
“So that is going to happen but then not only that. We are putting solar light both for the one that was constructed before us and the one that is being done by us. Within the first one week we will have solar light up to this 1km and we continue we are also going to plant trees which is very important,” he added.
Umahi urged residents of the South-East to acknowledge the scale of federal infrastructure intervention in the region, noting that such efforts were previously lacking.
“The people of South East have to be very grateful to Mr President. The reason is that we never had it like this. I was governor for 8 years and I can’t think of any Federal road project in Ebonyi State,” he said.
He also warned against divisive narratives, cautioning that some individuals were misleading the public for selfish interests.
“I want to ask our people to be very very careful, there are people that pretend that they are helping us but they actually inciting us against government… we need to know when people are genuinely interested in our case,” he said.
Calling for sustained support for the President, Umahi described the ongoing infrastructure drive as a deliberate effort to address historical neglect and fully integrate the South-East into national development.
“Let us allow this man that have started to right the wrong metted on us as the people of Southeast in the past. Let us allow him the next four years and we will be very much fully integrated,” he stated, adding, “To know the revolution that is going on in infrastructure… this is the Biafra we are looking for.”
As a major milestone, the Minister directed that the Enugu–Onitsha Expressway be reopened for public use on or before March 31, positioning it as a symbolic Easter gift to road users in the region.
“I have given the controller the authority, by the 31st or before, he should call the press to open this road, call the people of South East… let them know that this road is open for travel and that will be our Easter celebration,” he said.
Addressing concerns over project costs, Umahi clarified that the Ministry of Works does not independently determine project pricing, noting that approvals проходят multiple regulatory stages, including the Bureau of Public Procurement and the Federal Executive Council.
“I’m not the final authority when it comes to the cost of a project, there are layers of approval, the Bureau of Public Procurement, their own stands and not my own,” he explained.
He maintained that the engineering standards applied to the Enugu–Onitsha project are consistent with major national projects such as the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway and the Sokoto-Badagry Super Highway.
“The same road architecture as the Lagos-Calabar coastal highway and the Sokoto-Badagry Super Highway… so no discrimination with the president, everybody is the same,” Umahi said.
