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Minister of Works, David Umahi
The Federal Ministry of Works, under the leadership of the Minister of Work, David Umahi, has proposed N365.44bn to fund the construction of new road projects and purchase of operational vehicles.
However, earlier in the year, Umahi made a public announcement not to include new road projects in the 2025 budget.
The proposed N365.44bn is 36.54 per cent of the N1.013tn proposed sum to fund the construction of 468 roads and highways across the country.
In August 2024, the works minister publicly announced at a press briefing with journalists that the ministry was not proposing new projects for the 2025 fiscal year to reduce, if not eliminate, the incidence of abandoned projects.
He said the ministry would channel its attention on completing several ongoing and abandoned projects in Nigeria instead of new projects.
The minister noted, however, that the ministry could recommend any new project if it comes from President Bola Tinubu.
He said, “We will not propose new projects for the 2025 fiscal year unless otherwise dictated by Mr President. I am going to tell the Ministry of Finance to provide funds for us to complete ongoing projects.
“Right now we have over 4,000 ongoing projects and a funding gap of N16tn, most of which were inherited by this administration. Some of these projects were awarded when the naira was exchanged for N150 to $1.”
However, an analysis of the ministry’s projected spending in the 2025 budget as contained in its line items revealed that the minister may have faltered in his promise, with a total of 330 new projects set to be implemented.
A breakdown showed that the new projects include the rehabilitation of 77.2km of the Zaria-Hunkuyi-Katsina SB at the cost of N8bn; section two of the Katsina-Dabai-Kafur-Malunfashi at N8bn; and N6bn for the construction of Kwanar Dakatsalle-Falgore Tudunwada Dankade road; N10bn for the construction of Benin bypass in Edo state; N5bn for Afikpe road; and N6bn for the construction of Baro bridge in Niger State.
Others are the allocation of N4bn for the construction of the Shendam-Demshin-Angwan Rina road in Plateau state; N15bn for the Benin – Akure dualisation; the construction of Ukana-Akpautong-Ikot road in Akwa-Ibom State at the cost of N9bn; while the rehabilitation of the failed sections of Bauchi-Jigawa state border will cost N15bn; N8bn for the Benin-Agbo road; and N3bn for the provision of equipment for project monitoring and consultants.
The rehabilitation of roads at David Umahi university of Medical sciences is at the cost of N100m; N120m for the provision of operational/safety vehicles.
Another N115.55m was proposed for the provision of office equipment and procurement of 2022/2025 Toyota Hilux for monitoring and collection of revenue; and N300m for the purchase of utility vehicles for human resources.
A breakdown of the ministry’s line items in the 2025 Appropriation Bill presented to the National Assembly showed that N15.02bn was appropriated for contingency funds and N2bn for the purchase of vehicles for Senior Special Assistants.
Our correspondent observed that the number of planned road construction projects decreased by 1,457 from the 1,925 roads proposed in the 2024 budget, but reflects an increase of N547.55bn from the N548.56bn allocated in the same 2024 budget.
An analysis of the 2025 budget christened, “Budget of Restoration”, showed that the ministry allocated N4bn for the construction of the presidential helipad and jetty in Lagos, N5bn for judgement debt, N5bn for the payment of legal fees, N380m for the purchase of solar lights, N280m for the maintenance of seven generators, and N1.7bn for the renovation of the office building.
Upon assumption of office, the Minister of Works, David Umahi, said the government inherited 2,604 road projects with a required funding of N13tn, but this amount increased to N19tn in October.
The ministry also got emergency funding of N300bn to repair critically failed roads affected by flooding.
