FIC Report (Ebonyi State) – The Minister of Works, Engr David Umahi, has said the Federal Government’s massive investment in road infrastructure under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is creating thousands of jobs, stimulating economic activities and helping to address hunger across the country.
Umahi stated this while inspecting the ongoing Calabar–Ebonyi–Benue–Nasarawa–Abuja Superhighway project at Onueke in Ezza South Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.
He said the President’s infrastructure agenda was generating employment through direct construction activities and creating business opportunities for communities located along project corridors.
He noted that the project had engaged hundreds of workers, while traders, suppliers of construction materials and other service providers were benefiting from the ongoing works.
The minister further explained that the adoption of reinforced concrete pavement for major federal highways was strengthening Nigeria’s economy by encouraging the use of locally sourced materials and boosting domestic industries.
The introduction of reinforced concrete pavement is not only about durability; it is also important for our economic revolution because virtually nothing is imported. Cement manufacturers are increasing production, making more profits and employing more Nigerians,” he said.
Umahi appealed to Nigerians to be patient with the Tinubu administration, stressing that decades of infrastructural decay could not be reversed within three years.
He also urged media organisations to give wider publicity to ongoing Federal Government projects, particularly in the South-East.
Describing the Calabar–Abuja Superhighway as a transformative national project, Umahi said it would strengthen regional integration, reduce travel time, improve connectivity and unlock economic opportunities for communities along the corridor.
Earlier, the Acting Federal Controller of Works in Ebonyi State, Engr. Maxwell Oko, disclosed that the section of the highway being executed by MSS Infiouest International Limited was awarded at a cost of ₦454 billion.
According to him, the project has attained 39.12 per cent completion, with construction progressing steadily on both carriageways.
Also speaking, the Project Manager of the Trans-Sahara Highway, Engr. Mohamed Mostapha, said earthworks, stabilisation and reinforcement were progressing simultaneously across both sections of the alignment in line with the project’s execution.
As the Federal Controller has stated, we have completed about 39 per cent of the project. Earthworks, stabilisation and reinforcement are ongoing across the alignment,” he said.
In her remarks, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Community Engagement (South-East), Barrister Chioma Nweze, commended President Tinubu for the ongoing infrastructure development in the region, saying the projects were opening up rural communities, improving access to healthcare and expanding economic opportunities.
Nweze also encouraged students in the South-East to take advantage of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), saying the initiative had made tertiary education more accessible to young Nigerians.
BAKARE LAURETTA
HOC FIC ABAKALIKI
1/8/2026
