The Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, has said that the federal government will complete the construction of the Abuja Kaduna road in the next year.
Umahi said this when he received the governor of Kaduna State, Sen. Uba Sani, in his office.
In a statement signed by the Special Adviser (Media) to the Honourable Minister of Works, Hon. Barr. Orji Uchenna Orji, the tax credit scheme would be part of the funds for financing the project.
He said, “We are going to have the first section of 38 kilometres by 2, which is 76 kilometres, done by Dangote Group of Companies on Tax Credit and it is going to use concrete to do it.
“We will allow the next 82 kilometres for Julius Berger to handle. And then the last 20 kilometres by 2 (which is 40 kilometres) for BUA to handle and to also use concrete to do that.”
He said the work would begin this month and be completed in a year. “I can assure you that the job will start in these three sections within this month of May.”
Umahi said he had a presidential directive to construct the 1,000-kilometre road running from Badagry to Sokoto.
According to him, “He further stated that the President’s directive on designing 1,000-kilometre Sokoto-Badagry Highway was being handled with dispatch by the Federal Ministry of Works.
The minister noted that the project would cover the old African trade route of Sokoto, Kebbi, Niger, and Kwara linking Ondo, Oyo, Ogun and Lagos States, where it connects to Badagry.
The minister stated that a proposal was being made to link the south-east to the north through the Trans-Sahara Highway, which would have a spur passing through Benue, Kogi, and Nasarawa and end in Abuja.
Umahi used the opportunity of the visit to commend the governor for his administration of Kaduna state in spite of the security challenges that state poses.
The Kaduna state governor commended the President and the minister for the effort to deliver on the presidential mandate but emphasised that the Birni-Gwari road was critical to the State and it’s environs for transportation of Agricultural products
“He emphasised the importance of Federal Government’s intervention on the Eastern Bypass in Kaduna State, the Mando-Birni-Gwari road connecting the North West.
Governor Uba said that the road was of prime importance for agricultural programmes in the North.
His words: “For all of us in Northern Nigeria, you will agree with me that farming is very important. And what we really want is to create opportunities for people who live in rural areas.
“That will certainly help, particularly our farmers, linking our farms with markets. Our people believe in this infrastructure to support our farmers.”
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