Nigeria’s Minister of Works Urges Contractor to Fast-Track Project Completion

In a bid to accelerate the completion of two major infrastructure projects in Nigeria, Minister of Works Engr. David Umahi has called on the main contractor, Julius Berger (Nig), Plc, to fast-track the projects. The Minister made the appeal during a meeting with representatives of the contractor in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital city.

According to a statement signed by the Minister’s Special Adviser (Media), Orji Uchenna Orji, Mr Umahi emphasized the importance of completing the projects, citing the premium placed on them by President Bola Tinubu and Nigerians who use the roads. The projects in question are the rehabilitation of the Abuja – Kaduna – Zaria – Kano Dual Carriageway and the construction of the Bodo-Bonny road with bridges across the Opobo channel in Rivers State.

The Minister revealed that the Federal Executive Council (FEC) had approved the re-scoping and downward review of the contract for the Abuja – Kaduna – Zaria – Kano Dual Carriageway, with a total contract sum of N740,797,204,713.25. He also disclosed that the FEC had approved the revised estimated total cost for the Bodo-Bonny project, amounting to N280 billion.

Mr Umahi urged the contractor to mobilize in multiple locations of the two projects to complete them within 14 months. He noted that the inflation rate and current economic situation were taken into consideration before arriving at the decision.

The Minister also tasked contractors handling Federal Government projects on the need for corporate nationalism in price negotiation in the face of the daunting economic challenges facing Nigeria. He emphasized that there must be an end to negotiation and that the government is ready to pay the contractor even fresh mobilization to underscore the interest of the President in the project.

The Minister appealed to the contractor to sign the addendum to the contract by Monday, warning that if JBN Plc does not accept the N740 billion, the government will terminate the contract. The government has already terminated some of the contractor’s jobs due to prolonged negotiations.

The Bodo-Bonny project, which has a 12-month completion period, is expected to be completed within the next 12 months. The project is a significant infrastructure development in Nigeria, aimed at improving the country’s transportation network and boosting economic growth.