Federal Government to Spend N837 Billion on 2,254 Roads and Bridges From 2024 Budget of Renewed Hope

The 2024 budget, meant to handle all federal projects next year, is said to rehabilitate and construct 1,925 roads and highways across the country. The PUNCH reported this finding.

In the findings, the government allocated N548.56 billion for road construction in 2024, with the East-West and Benin-Akure roads getting N2bn and N3.75bn, respectively.

This differs from the N288.44bn allocated to modernize 329 roads and bridges in the 2023 supplementary budget.

If the supplementary budget is added to the 2024 budget proposal, the government will spend N837bn on 2,254 roads and bridges in the 2023 and 2024 fiscal years.

All road projects are to be carried out under the Ministry of Works, and it indicates the provision of N1.05bn to remove overgrown vegetation on some federal roads.

Also, the 2024 “Budget of Renewed Hope” reveals that the ministry allocated N3.19 billion to purchase 50 motor vehicles.

More Details

On the list of road projects are the rehabilitation of the Kabba- Ayere- Isua- Ipele road in Kogi and Ondo states at N2.14 billion, as well as the construction of the Ikot Ekpene border Aba-Owerri dual road at N1 billion. Also, the dualization of the Lagos- Otta road will cost N1 billion, while N8.2 billion was provisioned for the counterpart funding of the Lafia bypass and the 9th mile Enugu- Makurdi road.

The Kano-Maiduguri Road Section IV, Potiskum-Damaturu Road, got an allocation of N2.1bn, while the dualization of Aba-Ikot Ekpene road in Abia/ Akwa Ibom states was allocated N1.41bn; the construction of Ikot Ekpene border-Aba – Owerri dualization got the sum of N1.01bn, while the rehabilitation of Odukpani junction -Akpet central section -Ikom-Ogoja road in Cross River State got N1.1bn.

The budget also made provisions for constructing culverts and drainage in flood-prone areas on federal roads in the southeast zone for N3.03 billion and N10.7 billion for the counterpart funding for expanding the Abuja-Keffi carriageway. In contrast, the rehabilitation of three sections of the Lokoja-Abuja road cost N6 billion, and the dualization of Suleja-Minna road phase II in Niger State cost N500 million.

A similar provision of N3.031bn was made for culverts and drains at flood-prone areas of the federal road network in the North West zone, while the rehabilitation of Shagamu road in Lagos State will cost N1.3bn. The rehabilitation of the access road to Apapa/Tin Can Island Port/NNPC depot got a budgetary allocation of N143.5 million.

In the South-South zone, provision was also made for culvert drainage and flood-prone areas on the federal road network in four locations in Rivers State for the sum of N2.6bn, the rehabilitation of Odukpani-Itu-Ikot Ekpene road, section I Odukpani- Itu Bridgehead, both in Cross River State, received an allocation of N1.5bn.

For the dualization of Ibadan/Ife-Ilesha road in Oyo State, a sum of N2.2bn was allocated. At the same time, N104m was set aside for the rehabilitation, construction, and expansion of Lagos-Shagamu-Ibadan dual carriageway section I, Lagos State.

The Federal Road Maintenance Agency also got N66.702bn in the budget for the country's repair and maintenance of federal roads and bridges. At the same time, an appropriation of N1bn was given to construct the agency’s corporate headquarters.

The Ministry of Works has instructed contractors who are owed to approach the ministry with all relevant documents between December 12 and December 22, 2023.

Uchenna Orji, the Chief Press Secretary to the minister, said on Sunday that the current administration inherited huge debts arising from unpaid certificates of road projects to the tune of N1.5tn, a reduction of N10tn from the N11.16tn announced by the former Minister of Works, Babatunde Fashola while defending the 2023 budget.

Umahi, the Minister of Work, revealed that to address the inherited debt by the past administration on ongoing road projects nationwide, he will set up six committees to review all debts of unpaid road projects.

He said the committees will review the approved and unapproved variations of prices and all augmentations that were approved or were yet to be approved and make recommendations to the ministry.

The statement read in part, 

• The minister notes the huge debts arising from unpaid certificates inherited from the past administration, which run up to N1.5tn up till date, and the expected contract reviews arising from inflation and has, therefore, set up six committees of one committee per geopolitical zone to review all debts of unpaid certified certificates generated before May 29th, 2023, and from May 29th, 2023 to date.

• The committees will also review the approved and unapproved variation of prices and all augmentations that were approved or are yet to be approved and make recommendations to the ministry’s management.