By Faridat Salifu
Nigeria’s Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved a sweeping overhaul of key infrastructure projects across 15 states, redirecting over N1.81 trillion into strategic roadways, dams, and shoreline defenses to optimize existing funds and accelerate delivery.
The Minister of Works, David Umahi, revealed that many inherited projects have been “rescoped” — meaning reduced in scope but retained in budget — to ensure timely execution within available funding, especially from sources like the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) and international lenders.
One of the most notable adjustments is to the Sokoto-Zamfara-Katsina-Kaduna road corridor, where the original 175-kilometre dualisation was rescoped to 82.4 kilometres with six bridges, all retained under the initial N105 billion contract. The project, divided into four sections, includes portions handled by SKCC and Setraco using reinforced concrete.
In the Southwest, the Akure–Ado-Ekiti dualisation has been trimmed to 15 of the original 18.438 kilometres, now pegged at N19.407 billion, covering both Ekiti and Ondo States.
Another significant reconfiguration is the Maiduguri–Mongonu Road in Borno State, now segmented into phases starting with 30 kilometres for N21 billion. The second phase will commence upon completion of the first stretch.
The Aba–Ikot-Ekpene Road also saw delayed ratification by FEC and is now greenlit for a first-phase contract sum of N30.23 billion.
Coastal erosion concerns triggered a massive budget jump for the Ebute-Ero/Outer Marina Shoreline rehabilitation in Lagos. The project, originally priced at N114 billion, was revised to N176.495 billion to protect vital infrastructure, including military and naval bases.
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Fresh contracts were also awarded, including:
• Abakaliki–Afikpo Flyover in Ebonyi at N25 billion
• Ikoga–Atan–Ado-Odo Road in Ogun at N37.045 billion
• Enugu–Onitsha Road, now rescoped to 77 kilometres for N150 billion and partly financed through MTN’s tax credit scheme
• Benin–Shagamu–Ore dual carriageway — the final 96 kilometres awarded for N187 billion
Umahi emphasized the 7th Axial Road, linking Lekki Port to Sagamu–Ore, is critical to export logistics from the Dangote Refinery and Lagos Free Trade Zone. Valued at $651.7 million, it spans 50 kilometres with five bridges, financed by China Exim Bank following President Tinubu’s bilateral pitch in Beijing.
Other projects include the rehabilitation of the Chamnuman section of the Gombe–Yola Road for N9.253 billion and continued progress on the Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway, where over 70% of Section 1 is reportedly complete.
International lenders such as Dutch Bank and the Development Bank of Southern Africa have rated Nigeria’s procurement process on the coastal highway “excellent” and even “undervalued.”
Beyond roads, FEC approved N26.35 billion for urgent ecological projects on aging dams within the Kano River Irrigation Project. These include:
• Tiga Dam rehabilitation and expansion – N11.84 billion
• Shalangwa Gorge Dam irrigation upgrades – N7.47 billion
• Kafin Chiri irrigation scheme – N7.04 billion
Permanent Secretary of the Cabinet Affairs Office, Dr. Emanso Umobong, noted the dam revamps will prevent flooding and support three farming cycles annually across 50,000 acres, impacting 30,000 farm families and generating over 300,000 jobs.
She added that remediation also includes erosion control and watershed management across 16 Kano LGAs and work on Alau Dam in Maiduguri to prevent repeat flooding disasters.
The council’s push to reallocate and accelerate infrastructure spending marks a pivot toward strategic delivery, climate resilience, and job creation under the Tinubu administration’s Renewed Hope agenda.
