The Federal Government has ordered contractors working on the Calabar- Abuja Superhighway to halt any demolition along the project corridor until the route is reviewed and, where necessary, realigned.
Minister of Works David Umahi issued the directive during an inspection of Phase Two of the highway in Ado, Benue State, where he urged contractors to accelerate construction and find practical solutions to engineering challenges delaying work.
“No building should be touched,” Umahi said. “Even if it is within the alignment, I have to come and realign it. Continue your work and go around those buildings until we come to look at it.”
Phase Two covers 173 kilometres and is valued at ₦683 billion, while Phase One is estimated at ₦454 billion.
The contractor handling the second phase has opened the first section of the initial eight-kilometre stretch, although work around the Ado Bridge remains a major engineering hurdle.
Umahi directed the contractor to open another section from the Ado River while engineers develop a solution for the bridge crossing.
He also ordered that at least three sections of the first element be opened simultaneously to improve the pace of construction.
The minister said sharp curves along the route must be strengthened, even where such adjustments were not included in the original design.
He noted that infrastructure projects often require changes based on realities discovered on the ground.
The project is being executed under an EPC Plus Finance arrangement, which does not provide for variations.
Umahi therefore urged the project team to manage resources carefully and avoid imposing additional costs on the Federal Government.
He also highlighted extra works being undertaken under Phase One, including the dualisation of the road at Onueke and another section near Ndibe Beach.
Beyond the project inspection, Umahi defended the Tinubu administration’s infrastructure programme and dismissed claims that he had diverted Federal Government projects to the Southeast.
He said the region was receiving attention as part of a broader national development plan and would not be left behind.
The minister also rejected claims of a political “rainbow coalition” in Ebonyi State, reaffirming his support for the All Progressives Congress and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu ahead of the 2027 election.
Umahi said the administration’s infrastructure projects should be judged by what is already being built—not by campaign promises. While warned that a change in government could stall major projects requiring several years to complete.
“I’m very proud of what the President is doing,” he said, urging Nigerians to compare the country’s infrastructure development under the present administration with the past.
