By Nkechi Eze
The Federal Government has announced plans for the comprehensive reconstruction of the 136-kilometre Benin-Asaba Road as a dual carriageway following President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s directive, with the highway returned to the Federal Ministry of Works for direct intervention.
The Minister of Works, Senator Engr. David Umahi, disclosed this on Thursday, October 15, 2026, during the reopening of the First Niger Bridge on the Asaba-Onitsha Road, where he also outlined ongoing rehabilitation measures to safeguard the bridge and improve motorists’ safety.
According to an official statement signed by Francis Nwaze, Senior Special Assistant to the Minister of Works on Media, Umahi said the return of the Benin-Asaba Road to the ministry followed the removal of the concession arrangement that had prevented the ministry from undertaking its reconstruction.
“What stopped the Ministry of Works from reconstructing Benin-Asaba Road, the concessioning of that route, has been unsealed. We now have our route back to the Ministry of Works,” he said.
The minister explained that the President had directed the total redesign and reconstruction of the 136-kilometre road as a dual carriageway, adding that design work was ongoing and construction would begin after its completion.
He assured motorists that remedial works were already underway on critical sections of the highway, with permanent reinforced concrete pavement works expected to commence as part of efforts to address the road’s longstanding condition.
“The legacy of President Bola Tinubu, you will see it ongoing on this road. Never again will our people suffer on this road,” Umahi said.
On the First Niger Bridge, the minister said the Federal Government had undertaken rehabilitation works following reports of activities threatening its structural integrity, including the removal of bolts and cutting of iron components by some individuals.
He described the activities as dangerous, warning that the removal of critical structural components could compromise the bridge’s stability and potentially lead to a collapse.
Umahi recalled that the bridge was commissioned in 1966 by Nigeria’s then Prime Minister, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, noting that years of inadequate maintenance had necessitated sustained rehabilitation and safety interventions.
He said the rehabilitation included asphalt resurfacing and median demarcation, similar to the measures implemented on Lagos’ Third Mainland Bridge.
According to him, additional safety measures include the installation of closed-circuit television cameras, solar-powered lighting and observation centres at both ends of the bridge to strengthen monitoring and security.
He added that three turnaround passages had been created to enable motorists to manoeuvre safely in the event of vehicle breakdowns.
“Exactly the treatment we gave to the Third Mainland Bridge is the treatment we gave to this place,” he said.
The minister, however, clarified that the rehabilitation was not yet fully completed, identifying outstanding works to include repainting the steel structure, completing maintenance on rust-affected areas beneath the bridge deck, installing CCTV cameras above and below the bridge, and providing canopies at both ends.
He also warned against illegal sand dredging around bridges, reminding the Federal Ministry of Works’ directors in Delta and Anambra states that regulations prohibit the activity within a 10-kilometre radius of bridges.
Umahi directed the state directors to report any failure by security agencies to enforce the regulation, warning that disciplinary action would follow if the illegal activity continued.
Beyond the Benin-Asaba Road and First Niger Bridge, the minister highlighted other federal infrastructure projects across the South-East and South-South, including the planned reconstruction of approximately 400 kilometres of the East-West Road, stretching through the Niger Delta to Cross River State.
He described the project as a major intervention under the Tinubu administration, adding that the East-West Road would serve as a spur of the 750-kilometre Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway.
Umahi dismissed reports suggesting that construction on the coastal highway had stopped, maintaining that work was ongoing and that the remaining sections in Bayelsa and Cross River states would be taken up in the coming weeks.
He also announced that designs for the first and second sections of the East-West Road were nearing completion, with construction expected to begin soon.
On the Enugu-Port Harcourt corridor, the minister said reconstruction had reached approximately 90 per cent completion, while work was ongoing on a 44-kilometre section in Port Harcourt using reinforced concrete pavement.
In Anambra State, he disclosed that 33 kilometres of a 107-kilometre dual carriageway project had been completed, while construction on a remaining 40-kilometre section from the First Niger Bridge axis was expected to commence within two weeks.
He further cited the ongoing construction of Section 2B of the Second Niger Bridge bypass, a 17.5-kilometre project valued at ₦172 billion, as evidence of the Federal Government’s infrastructure investment in the region.
“These are projects that show the President’s commitment to the South-East. We cannot thank the President enough,” Umahi said.
Defending the use of reinforced concrete pavement on selected highways, the minister said the technology was intended to deliver more durable roads capable of serving Nigerians for decades.
He also defended the Tinubu administration’s economic reforms, arguing that the policies were necessary to prevent a deeper economic crisis and establish the foundation for sustainable recovery.
“When you have a wound and you have to stitch the wound, there will be pains at the initial time, but that pain is the beginning of healing,” he said.
“The worse is over. We are now into prosperity. We are into prosperity.”
Umahi urged critics of the administration to offer practical alternatives to its policies rather than resort to insults and hate speech, insisting that the reforms should be assessed against the country’s economic indicators and their impact on the economy.
He, however, acknowledged the need for the benefits of the reforms to translate into improved living conditions for ordinary Nigerians, particularly households and small businesses.
On the political debate ahead of the 2027 presidential election, the minister defended the right of citizens to make independent political choices, rejecting suggestions that support for Tinubu amounted to a betrayal of the South-East.
He questioned why political leaders seeking the presidency should campaign across different regions if citizens were expected to support candidates exclusively on the basis of regional affiliation.
“Why is Peter Obi looking for votes in the South-West? Why is he looking for votes in the North? So people from the South-East must support only one person?” he asked.
Umahi urged political leaders and influential voices in the South-East to encourage young people to assess political choices based on development, infrastructure and national inclusion rather than regional sentiments.
“Let me tell the people of the South-East, it is what you vote in January 2027 that is our right to brag. That is our right to negotiate. Let us not be very funny. Let us not be very sentimental. Let us stop the hate speeches and embrace the new wave of hope,” he said.
He maintained that participation in the electoral process was crucial to the region’s ability to negotiate for further development and continued federal investment in critical infrastructure.
“Democracy is about development. It is about infrastructure. It is about inclusiveness. The President has done that,” the minister said.
Umahi concluded by declaring the South-East’s support for President Tinubu, describing the administration’s infrastructure programme as evidence of its commitment to national development beyond ethnic and regional considerations.
“The evidence of what we are doing today is a total testimony that President Bola Tinubu is a detribalised Nigerian,” he said.
