FEC Okays N740bn For Berger Stretch Of Abuja-Kano Road

ABUJA – The Federal Executive Council (FEC), on Wednes­day, approved a number of high-profile road projects; including N740 billion for the Berger stretch of the Abuja-Kano route.

Minister of Works, Sen­ator Dave Umahi, disclosed this while briefing State House correspondents at the end of the cabinet meeting presided over by President Bola Tinubu at the Council Chamber, Pres­idential Villa, Abuja.

The minister clarified the government’s approach to managing the extensive backlog of infrastructure projects.

He said that the Sag­amu-Benin road is under­going a critical rehabilita­tion, while procurement processes are being final­ised for its full reconstruc­tion using reinforced con­crete pavement.

Senator Umahi further said the Abuja-Kano road, previously slated for a tax credit arrangement, will now be procured without such a provision, with the 162-kilometer Berger sec­tion already approved for N740 billion.

The minister highlight­ed several other projects, including the commence­ment of construction on the Sokoto-Badagry road, with the Sokoto section to be flagged off soon.

He said works on the Oyo-Ogbomosho road, a project stalled for 18 years, will resume, and the Mak­urdi-Katsina-Ala road will undergo significant re­pairs.

Umahi said FEC also tackled the inherited debt profile of N1.6 trillion tied to 2,604 projects, with a to­tal contract value of N13 trillion.

To manage the back­log, he said the Ministry of Works has initiated a phased approach to project completion based on avail­able funding.

According to him, the council further approved advanced payment mecha­nisms to combat inflation and rising costs driven by fluctuating exchange rates and petroleum prices.