Minister of Works, Chief David Umahi, says Trans-Sahara Superhighway will significantly boost security, agriculture and commerce across its corridor.
Umahi stated this on Saturday in Abakaliki after the inspection of ongoing works on Section Two of the Trans-Sahara Superhighway project in Ado Local Government Area of Benue.
He said that the Section Two, measuring approximately 173.4 kilometres, would connect the end of Section One through Benue, Enugu and adjoining states.
According to him, Section One, which runs from Ebonyi to the Ebonyi-Benue boundary, covers about 123 kilometres, bringing the combined length of the two sections to nearly 300 kilometres.
“When communities are brought closer through road construction and states become more accessible to one another, you can see the economic impact.
“If we complete this project, you will see significant improvements in security, agriculture, and commerce,” Umahi said.
Umahi said the highway would facilitate the movement of agricultural produce from major farming areas in Benue, Ebonyi and Enugu to markets.
He said that the Federal Government was also constructing bypasses, including the 8.9-kilometre Afikpo bypass in Ebonyi, which was being dualised.
The minister said that the second carriageway of Section One was being designed to align it with other legacy projects of the President Bola Tinubu’s government.
On funding, Umahi acknowledged financial challenges but assured that the government would continue executing projects based on available resources.
“There are challenges; we cannot have all the money to do all the projects at once, so we will continue to do the much we can based on our available resources,” the minister said.
He projected that the projects would be completed by 2031, subject to Tinubu’s re-election and continuity of the administration.
Umahi who appealed to host communities to cooperate with contractors, particularly by providing access to borrow pits and facilitating valuation of affected crops and properties, said that nobody would buildings along the corridors unnecessarily.
“Nobody will touch your building unnecessarily; I want you to cooperate with us and show us the borrow pits. We will pay compensation where necessary,” he added.
Umahi commended the contractor for its commitment, noting that work was continuing despite the rainy season.
He urged Nigerians to appreciate the Federal Government’s intervention in communities that had previously lacked federal roads.
The minister also canvassed support for Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidates, saying that continuity was necessary to ensure completion of the highway. ENDS//
