Nigeria’s Minister of Works, David Umahi, has commended indigenous contractors handling federal highway projects and inspected the Ndibe Bridge linking Ebonyi State and Cross River State.
The minister spoke during an inspection of ongoing works along the Calabar corridor of federal road projects.
Umahi said the ongoing construction forms part of the Calabar corridor of the Federal Government’s legacy road projects.
The corridor is expected to connect southern Nigeria to the Federal Capital Territory through a major transport route.
According to the minister, the project begins from Calabar and runs through several communities including Afikpo, Amasiri and Onueke before connecting to the South-East and South-South road corridors.
He noted that the project is designed to improve connectivity between states and support transportation along the corridor linking multiple regions.
During the inspection, Umahi praised Nigerian construction firms participating in the projects, stating that many of them began work even before receiving mobilisation funds.
He said:
“Many of these local contractors have shown remarkable patriotism. Some of them have not been mobilised with funds yet, but they are already working.”
The minister explained that the first section of the corridor covers about 125.5 kilometres with an estimated contract value of ₦454 billion.
He also disclosed that the Federal Government had paid 30 percent of the contract value under the Engineering, Procurement, Construction and Finance funding model, while contractors are expected to provide the remaining financing.
Umahi added that the project is being constructed using concrete pavement technology, which he said can last for decades with minimal maintenance.
The minister inspected the Ndibe Bridge project located in Afikpo Local Government Area of Ebonyi State. The bridge is designed to link the area to the Calabar coastal highway corridor.
The bridge project is estimated at about ₦55 billion, and government officials said about ₦3 billion has already been released for the work.
Umahi stated that bridge construction will involve a beam-launching system that uses cranes positioned along bridge piers to place structural beams.
