Nigeria’s Minister of Works, David Umahi, has stated that President Bola Tinubu’s administration is committed to fostering economic growth and enhancing the quality of life for Nigerians through the construction of quality road infrastructure nationwide.
Mr Umahi stated this at a two-day retreat organised for highway engineers and management staff of the Ministry with the theme, “Ensuring Delivery of Mr President’s Agenda on Road Infrastructural Development.”
The Works Minister noted that a good road network plays a major role in achieving food security, ending poverty, improving national security, and creating jobs.
Mr Umahi called on highway engineers to uphold professional international standards and practices for the government to get value for money.
He added that contractors must henceforth go to the site before requesting mobilization fees.
The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Works, Senator Mpigi Barinada, emphasized the need to engage the members of the National Assembly to ascertain that the correct appropriation is made to accommodate all Nigerian roads.
The Chairman of the House Committee on Works, Mr Akin Alabi, commended the Ministry for efforts done so far to improve Nigerian roads, which he described as a sign of support for President Tinubu’s agenda.
In a communiqué released by the Ministry’s Director of Press and Public Relations, Mr. Mohammed Ahmed, the retreat was facilitated by a panel of experts delivering insightful presentations on critical topics.
“Discussions were centred on the composition of the site management team; project planning; resolving Bill 1; direct Labour policy; interrelationships between engineers; adherence to the rules of law; and lastly, funding of projects.
“It was agreed that the Ministry should return to its original structure; a waiver for recruitment of young engineers is to be pursued to bridge the gap of shortage of staff; there is no free money in Bill 1 anymore; the issue of direct labour was stepped down, as extant laws do not support it, more so, to avoid conflict of interest with the Federal Emergency Road Management Agency (FERMA).
“The Ministry was advised to lobby for the establishment of a Federal Highways Authority.
“As takeaways from the retreat, participants were asked to reduce the use of emergency contracts; publish all contracts on the Ministry’s websites, including the names of the contractors and value for money expended on every project; and ensure that effective from 2025, categorisation of contractors will start and no longer portfolio or envelope contractors. To avoid unnecessary embarrassment, officers need to apply existing rules when discharging their duties.
“The year 2025, being a year for enhanced performance for Mr. President, priority projects will be tracked by the second quarter of 2026, which should be ready for commissioning. Participants were also urged to ensure that Nigerian roads are motorable, especially that of Abuja-Kaduna, a vital artery linking the south to the north of the country. Civil servants were, as well as urged to guide and support politicians in performing their jobs,” the communiqué reads.
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