Minister of Works, Sen. Dave Umahi, says Section One of Trans-Sahara Highway in Ebonyi has reached 45 per cent completion, with 2,000 workers currently engaged.
Umahi made the disclosure on Friday during an inspection of the Calabar-Ebonyi-Benue-Nasarawa-Abuja section of the Trans-Sahara Highway, where he expressed satisfaction with the pace and quality of work by the contractor, Infiouest International.
The minister said the project remained a major intervention by the Federal Government to open up the South-East to greater economic opportunities, strengthen inter-state connectivity and enhance security.
“Section One is about 40, I will give them 45 per cent in completion. The quality of the concrete pavement is top-notch,” Umahi said.
He said Section One covered about 125.5 kilometres, beginning from the Ndibe Beach axis and passing through Akpoha, Abomege, Amudo and Onueke, as well as parts of Ezza North and Ebonyi Local Government Areas.
According to him, some portions of the alignment are being dualised in response to increasing economic activities and urban development along the corridor.
He cited the 8.9-kilometre stretch around Afikpo and the two-kilometre section at Abomege as areas receiving special attention under the project.
Umahi also disclosed that Section Two, extending into Benue and other parts of the country, covered about 173.6 kilometres and had a contract value of approximately N683 billion.
He said the Federal Government had already paid 30 per cent of the contract sum, stressing that there was no financial constraint preventing the contractor from accelerating construction.
“There is nothing stopping the contractor from working,” the minister said.
Umahi said the completed highway would provide a major transportation corridor linking the South-East with other parts of Nigeria, while reducing travel time and facilitating the movement of agricultural produce, goods and people.
He said security infrastructure, including closed-circuit television cameras and solar-powered lighting, would also be incorporated into the project.
The minister further disclosed that Infiouest International had employed more than 2,000 people within Section One, describing the development as a significant source of direct and indirect employment.
“Within the first section of the road, Infiouest has employed over 2,000 people,” he said.
The inspection provided a glimpse into the scale of the project, which is expected to reconnect communities that have historically depended on the corridor for trade, agriculture and access to social services.
Earlier, the Engineer in charge of Section One, Mohammed Mustapha, said construction had made significant progress along the alignment from Afikpo toward the Mbeke axis.
“We are almost at 40 per cent of the project, starting from Afikpo to reach Mbeke here,” Mustapha said.
The Engineer in charge of Section Two, Rabih Munayyar, said the contractor was accelerating mobilisation and construction activities, including bush clearing and other preparatory works.
Munayyar also commended Umahi’s technical supervision of the project.
“I have never seen anybody so technically professional. Really, I’m impressed,” he said.
Also speaking, the Acting Controller of the Trans-Sahara Road Project in Ebonyi, Mr Maxwell Oko, said the inspection point was at kilometre 118+300 of Section Two.
Oko explained that Section One ran from the Ndibe Beach axis through several communities in Ebonyi, with major structures including flyovers at Onueke and Ukwachi Junctions, alongside other proposed and ongoing bridge works.
He said Section One was awarded at approximately N454 billion, while Section Two was awarded to Infiouest International at about N683 billion.
For residents and businesses along the corridor, the road is expected to go beyond easing transportation challenges, with improved access to markets, healthcare, education and other economic opportunities.
The Senior Special Assistant to President Bola Tinubu on Community Engagement for the Southeast, Barrister Choma Nweze, described the project as a major economic intervention capable of transforming rural communities.
“I’m amazed that every road, every place is being opened up. This will give our women the opportunity of getting to hospital without giving birth on the road.
It will make our farmers able to bring their food to town to sell,” she said.
Nweze said the highway would reconnect communities across the Southeast and adjoining states while reviving historical trade routes and creating new opportunities for farmers, traders and other businesses.
She commended President Tinubu and the Ministry of Works for the simultaneous execution of major road projects across the Southeast, urging residents to recognise the developmental impact of the infrastructure programme.
During the inspection, Umahi also visited sections where buildings and other properties could be affected by the road alignment.
He said the Federal Government was working with relevant authorities on compensation and resettlement, while commending the Ebonyi Government for supporting compensation efforts in affected communities, particularly around the Onueke flyover corridor.
The minister reiterated that the Trans-Sahara Highway would significantly reduce journey times, improve security and expand economic opportunities across the corridor.
He said the project was part of the Federal Government’s wider infrastructure programme under President Tinubu, aimed at addressing long-standing infrastructure deficits and improving connectivity across the country.
Umahi also urged Nigerians, especially the media, to report infrastructure projects based on verifiable facts and figures.
The inspection was attended by officials of the Federal Ministry of Works, contractors, engineers, community representatives and other stakeholders involved in the project. ENDS//
