The Minister of Works, Sen. David Umahi, has announced the Federal Government’s ambitious plan to construct a 477-kilometre, six-lane Super Highway connecting five states to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
During the stakeholders’ engagement on Wednesday, Umahi revealed the details of the project, specifically addressing the 101-kilometre segment that will pass through Ebonyi State.
The highway will traverse Cross River, Ebonyi, Benue, Kogi, Nasarawa, and the FCT, promising to economically transform Ebonyi and the interconnected states.
“This highway will be an agricultural and economic corridor supporting President Bola Tinubu’s vision for food sufficiency,” Umahi stated.
“It will facilitate the transportation of farm produce such as rice, yams, and potatoes from Ebonyi to other states.
These commodities are abundant along these routes but cannot be efficiently evacuated due to poor road networks.”
He emphasized that the highway is a continuation of the coastal road running from Lagos to Calabar, initially designed by the colonial masters to integrate the South-East states.
Umahi called for the support of all stakeholders to realize this project, highlighting President Tinubu’s commitment to infrastructural development.
“Nigeria is suffering from the effects of past neglect, prompting the president to take bold, revolutionary steps. Every part of the South-East is included in this road revolution, including the Umuahia-Aba-Port Harcourt road, Enugu-Abakaliki road, and Onitsha-Owerri-Aba roads,” Umahi added.
Addressing concerns about compensation, Umahi assured affected individuals that measures are in place, commending Governor Francis Nwifuru for compensating those impacted by the dualization of the Enugu-Abakaliki highway.
Governor Francis Nwifuru expressed his excitement about the project, praising Umahi for his dedication to developing the state’s infrastructure.
“You have laid an irreversible foundation for our state’s infrastructural growth, aligning with our administration’s people’s charter of needs mantra focused on human capital and infrastructural development,” Nwifuru said.
Senator Onyekachi Nwebonyi (APC-Ebonyi North) hailed the project as a ‘dream come true,’ recalling how his constituents have long anticipated this development.
“As a child, I saw my father and surveyors from the ministry of works in the old Anambra, surveying the road connecting my community to Benue.
Just three months into my Senate tenure, I advocated for this road, which was initially opened in 1954 by the colonial masters, to be prioritized for my people,” Nwebonyi said.
The project promises significant economic and social benefits for the states involved, with state governments pledging their support to ensure its successful completion.
