The Federal Executive Council has approved ₦631.3 billion for nine road projects across Nigeria, launching one of the administration’s most significant infrastructure interventions aimed at improving connectivity, boosting trade and accelerating economic growth.
The approval was announced by the Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, after Wednesday’s FEC meeting presided over by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The projects span several states and include the 81.1-kilometre Ado–Ilawe– Ilumaba–Ikole Road in Ekiti, the 95- kilometre Etuke–Okene–Ankpa– Otopa Road in Kogi, and the Bichi Ring Road in Kano.
The Ekiti project is expected to open up communities, improve access to markets and stimulate economic activity across the state and neighbouring areas.
In Kogi, the Etuke–Okene–Ankpa–Otopa corridor is designed to strengthen regional links and support commercial transportation, while the Bichi Ring Road will help ease congestion and improve movement around Kano’s expanding urban area.
The Council also approved road interventions in Adamawa and Taraba, remedial works on the East-West Road and the rehabilitation of the Sokoto–Illela Road.
According to the ministry, the projects are intended to do more than improve asphalt connections. They are expected to lower transportation costs, help farmers move produce to markets, strengthen supply chains, attract investment and create jobs.
Umahi also disclosed that the first 118 kilometres of the Abuja–Kaduna–Zaria– Kano Expressway had been completed, with work on the remaining sections nearing completion.
The finished sections, built with asphalt and concrete pavements, have been fitted with solar-powered streetlights to improve visibility and safety at night.
The highway is a vital national corridor linking major population centres and supporting passenger movement, commercial transport and regional trade.
Its progress signals the govt’s broader push to deliver major infrastructure projects while focusing on quality, execution and value for money.
For millions of Nigerians, the success of the ₦631.3 billion programme will ultimately be measured not by the size of the approval, but by shorter travel times, safer roads, stronger local economies and reliable access to markets, schools and hospitals.
