Jane Salihu
The Minister of Works, David Umahi, on Thursday inaugurated a completed section of the Enugu–Onitsha Expressway, highlighting the Federal Government’s commitment to improving critical infrastructure in the Southeast.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Umahi said the project reflects the determination of the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to address long-standing infrastructure challenges in the region and across the country.
He recalled that travelling between Enugu and Onitsha used to take as long as seven hours due to the poor condition of the road, describing the highway as one of the most important transport corridors in the Southeast.
According to the minister, the project was originally initiated under a tax credit arrangement involving MTN Nigeria and executed by Reynolds Construction Company, but construction stalled until the intervention of President Tinubu.
Umahi explained that after engaging the president, the project received renewed attention and a directive that at least half of the highway should be reconstructed using reinforced concrete pavement similar to that used on the Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway.
“The first 50 kilometres of reinforced concrete pavement is about 97 percent completed, but the President directed me to open the first 15 kilometres so that people travelling during the Easter period will not suffer,” he said.
The minister also provided updates on several road projects across the Southeast, noting that many are either nearing completion or already at advanced stages of construction.
He listed ongoing works on the Afikpo–Uturu–Okigwe road under a tax credit arrangement with Dangote Group, the nearly completed Umuahia–Aba road executed by Arab Contractors, and the reconstruction of the Owerri–Aba road, which he said is about 70 percent completed.
Umahi also referenced the ongoing construction of the Second Niger bypass and multiple sections of the Enugu–Port Harcourt road corridor, as well as the rehabilitation of bridges at the Artisan area in Enugu State.
Beyond infrastructure, the minister used the occasion to call for stronger political support for the president in the Southeast ahead of the 2027 elections.
He urged the region to deliver overwhelming support for Tinubu to ensure the completion of ongoing projects and strengthen the Southeast’s position in national negotiations.
According to him, the Southeast should aim to deliver as much as 80 percent of its votes to the president in the next election cycle.
Umahi argued that political strategy and regional unity were necessary for the Southeast to advance its long-term political aspirations, including the possibility of producing a president in the future.
He also dismissed claims that the region remains marginalized, pointing to key federal appointments and major infrastructure projects currently underway across the Southeast.
“Governance is about development, infrastructure, fairness and justice,” he said, adding that the region is now witnessing unprecedented federal presence in road development.
The minister assured that the Enugu–Onitsha Expressway would feature solar-powered street lighting and landscaping as part of modern road architecture, promising that the federal government would continue upgrading strategic highways linking the Southeast to other parts of the country.
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