Abuja — Minister of Works, Engr. David Umahi, has defended the road infrastructure programme of President Bola Tinubu’s administration, insisting that Nigerians are getting real value for money despite criticism.
Speaking to journalists after inspecting road projects in the North Central Zone on Saturday, Umahi said the roads and bridges under construction are designed with quality materials and engineering standards that would make them last up to 100 years.
The minister, however, expressed worry over the rising cost of construction materials, which he said had not reflected the administration’s economic reforms.
> “What is the cost of cement? Cement is costing N9,500 and one meter cubed of concrete takes nine bags. Multiply that by N9,500 – that is only for cement,” he explained.
“The dollar is being stabilized, food prices are coming down, foreign reserves are improving, yet the cost of construction materials keeps rising. Why should that be?”
Umahi urged Nigerians to acknowledge the scale of challenges in maintaining the country’s extensive road network, stressing that President Tinubu remains committed to addressing them.
He cited the Abuja–Lokoja highway as an example of the inherited difficulties, describing its condition as “frightening.”
> “What the president inherited is very frightening. Even if you put all the nation’s resources into rebuilding these roads, it won’t be enough. Yet, President Tinubu has given roads and bridges top priority because this sector drives the GDP and underpins growth in other sectors,” he said.
Umahi assured that ongoing reforms and strategic investments in infrastructure would soon begin to yield visible and sustainable results for the nation’s economy.
