The Federal Government has expressed dissatisfaction with the pace of construction work on the Lokoja–Abuja highway.
The government warned contractors handling sections of the critical corridor to urgently improve performance or risk sanctions.
The Presidency’s Senior Special Assistant on Community Engagement, North Central, Abiodun Essiet, gave the warning during an inspection tour of ongoing federal road projects in Kogi State, where she described progress on key sections of the highway as far below expectations.
In a statement issued by the Ministry of Works on Tuesday, Essiet said she was disappointed by the level of work done months after contractors were directed to scale up deployment and accelerate construction.
She recalled that the Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, had terminated four road contracts in Kogi State due to poor performance, warning that similar actions could be taken if contractors failed to meet agreed timelines.
According to her, two of the contractors inspected during the visit were clearly behind schedule and had not mobilised additional equipment as earlier instructed. Project managers at the sites reportedly admitted that they were lagging and struggling to meet milestones.
Essiet described the situation as unacceptable, noting that only a few months remained for the delivery of the projects. She urged the Ministry of Works to strengthen supervision and enforcement to ensure timely completion.
“This is a very busy road and expectations are high. Nigerians are looking forward to tangible results. Contractors must intensify efforts by deploying more equipment and collaborating where necessary to complete this project on time. The progress of work done is not encouraging at all. Just a few months left and they have only been able to achieve not much. I am not impressed by the level of progress being made, so that’s why the excitement is not there.
“That’s why we are pleading with the controller and the contractors to make sure that they intensify more efforts because this is a very busy road and a whole lot of people are expecting more from Mr President on this road, so we just want to urge the contractor to do more in terms of bringing more equipment, in terms of collaborating with other people to help make sure that this project is completed in due time, please,” she said.
The Lokoja–Abuja highway serves as a major gateway linking the Federal Capital Territory to the North Central and parts of the South and has long been notorious for traffic congestion, accidents and insecurity, largely due to poor road conditions and slow rehabilitation works.
The Lokoja–Abuja highway serves as a major gateway linking the Federal Capital Territory to the North Central and parts of the South, and has long been notorious for traffic congestion, accidents and insecurity, largely due to poor road conditions and slow rehabilitation works.
The dualisation and rehabilitation of the Abuja–Lokoja road have, however, been plagued by repeated delays. Construction work has been awarded and re-awarded across different administrations, with sections handled by multiple contractors. Progress has often stalled due to funding shortfalls, poor contractor performance, variations in scope, inflation-driven cost escalations, and disruptions caused by flooding, especially around the Niger-Benue confluence in Kogi State.
Under the current administration, the Ministry of Works revived several inherited sections of the project as part of its renewed push to complete long-abandoned federal highways. In 2024, the Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, terminated a number of road contracts in Kogi State over unsatisfactory performance, directing contractors to remobilise, increase equipment deployment and meet revised timelines.
Despite these interventions, commuters and transport unions continue to complain about slow progress on key sections of the Abuja–Lokoja axis, citing long travel hours, rising transport costs and recurring accidents.
Speaking on the dualisation of the Lokoja–Benin Road being handled by CGC Nigeria Ltd, the project engineer, Abubakar Yaba, blamed the slow pace of work on funding challenges.
He disclosed that the project was about 38 per cent completed despite a time lapse of roughly 90 per cent.
Yaba said about N59bn had been certified for the project, but only N54bn had been paid so far, leaving an outstanding balance of over N4bn.
He added that the absence of budgetary provision for the project in the 2025 fiscal year and delays in settling outstanding payments had hampered progress.
Essiet, however, rejected the funding explanation, insisting that contractors were awarded projects based on demonstrated financial capacity. She said assurances had been given that the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope intervention funds would be deployed to meet obligations.
“If financial capacity was lacking, the contract would not have been awarded. The commitment of the President and the Minister of Works is clear. Contractors must demonstrate capacity and deliver,” she said.
She urged contractors to explore all lawful funding options to sustain work on site, stressing that the road is critical to easing movement, improving safety and boosting economic activities across the region.
Also speaking, the Controller of Works in Kogi State, Patiko Musa, said concerns raised by contractors had been forwarded to the ministry’s headquarters in Abuja. He assured that requests relating to extensions of time and outstanding payments were being processed and would be addressed in due course.
Meanwhile, Essiet also commissioned a special intervention project aimed at addressing flood-related washouts along the Itobe–Ayingba axis. Musa said the 1.6-kilometre embankment rehabilitation at Utolu in Baruvi was completed at a cost of N972m.
He explained that the project was part of 260 emergency road interventions approved nationwide to fix critically failed sections inherited by the current administration.
Representing the President at the ceremony, Essiet described the completed project as evidence of the Federal Government’s commitment to restoring vital road infrastructure. Community leaders and professional bodies, including representatives of the Nigerian Society of Engineers, commended the intervention, citing improved safety and a reduction in accidents since the works were completed.
