Abakaliki, Ebonyi – Minister of Works, Sen. Dave Umahi, says major South-East road projects conceived during the colonial era but abandoned for decades are now being implemented under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
Umahi stated this on Saturday in Ebonyi while conducting senior journalists and government officials on an inspection tour of Federal Government projects in the state. The tour is part of the National Media Tour organised by Renewed Hope Ambassadors in collaboration with the Presidential Media Team.
“This is contained in a statement by Tunde Rahman, Director of Media and Publicity, Renewed Hope Ambassadors, on Sunday,” the statement noted.
The minister identified the *Calabar-Ebonyi-Benue Trans-Saharan Superhighway* as one of the flagship projects expected to transform economic activities across the South-East, South-South and parts of the North-Central region.
“It is a colonial-era dream long forgotten, but President Tinubu has revived it, and construction is now underway. We must thank him immensely,” Umahi said.
He disclosed that *Section One* of the highway, originally designed as a 118-kilometre stretch but later extended to 123.6 kilometres, is being executed at a cost of N45 billion, “with dualisation works progressing steadily.”
According to him, *Section Two*, which traverses Benue and Kogi states to Nasarawa, “has been awarded at a cost of N668 billion and has attained about 28 per cent completion in some sections.”
Umahi said the adoption of concrete road technology by the Tinubu administration had enabled construction to continue despite the rainy season. “The Trans-Sahara Superhighway is not just a road; it is an investment corridor that will catalyse trade in agricultural produce such as cassava, yam, cashew and palm oil from Cross River, Benue and Ebonyi, while also connecting Nigeria to Cameroon,” he stated.
The minister expressed appreciation “on behalf of the South-East for what he described as the President’s commitment to inclusiveness and infrastructure development in the region.”
During the inspection, the team, which included Acting Federal Controller of Works in Ebonyi, Maxwell Okoh, and Mohammed Mustafa, Project Manager of Infiouest International Limited, inspected major bridges and concrete pavement sections. The delegation also visited the *1.3-kilometre Ndi-Egbe Bridge* in Afikpo LGA of Ebonyi, linking the state with Cross River. “The bridge is expected to be completed in December 2026,” Umahi said.
The team further inspected the *N35 billion Onueke Flyover* project in Ebonyi Central Senatorial District, designed to ease traffic congestion, and toured a completed concrete-pavement link road connecting communities in Ebonyi and Cross River states.
Gov. Francis Nwifuru of Ebonyi commended Tinubu for the projects. Receiving the media delegation in Abakaliki, Nwifuru said, “We have kept contractors busy in the state with projects spread across every local government area, from rural roads to primary health centres and water schemes.” He added that “Ebonyi remained one of the safest states in the country.”
Umahi disclosed that South-East governors and leaders would converge in Abakaliki on Monday for a rally to endorse President Tinubu for a second term. “Nwifuru will lead the people of Ebonyi at the event in appreciation of the President’s support for the state and the region,” he said.
From Ebonyi, the delegation will proceed to Enugu, Abia, Anambra and Imo states to inspect projects being executed under the Renewed Hope Agenda.
_Source: NAN / Renewed Hope Ambassadors_