Minister of Works, Engr. David Umahi, has affirmed that President Bola Tinubu is dedicated to ensuring equitable development across all regions of the country.
His statement was in response to Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso’s allegation that the Tinubu administration is neglecting the North in terms of road infrastructure. Umahi dismissed the claim as false, misleading, and politically motivated.
Speaking through a personally signed statement issued Friday in Abakaliki, Umahi said he has verified data that contradicts the allegations, pointing to key infrastructure projects that reflect balanced development efforts.
He listed four major ongoing projects as evidence of President Tinubu’s commitment to fairness: the 175 km Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway (South), 378 km Sokoto-Badagry Superhighway (North), 118 km Trans-Sahara Road in Ebonyi (South), and the Akwanga-Jos-Bauchi-Gombe Road (North). He emphasized that the North currently accounts for 52% of these projects, while the South holds 48%.
Umahi further highlighted major northern projects such as the dualised Sokoto-Zamfara-Katsina-Kaduna Road (275 km, ₦824 billion), Abuja-Kaduna-Kano Road (350 km, ₦764 billion), BUA Tax Credit Road (256 km), and others across Jigawa, Borno, Kebbi, Benue, and Kogi states.
For the South, he mentioned the near completion of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, the Lagos-Sagamu–Oyo-Ogbomoso–Ilorin Road, and rehabilitation works on the Carter, Eko, and Third Mainland bridges, alongside several projects in the Southeast and South-South.
Umahi concluded by promising to release a full list of all ongoing projects exceeding ₦20 billion next week.