The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved infrastructure contracts valued at over N7 trillion, covering 10 major road and bridge projects across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones.
The Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, disclosed this on Thursday while briefing State House correspondents after the FEC meeting presided over by Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Umahi described the approvals as the most extensive infrastructure rollout undertaken in a single sitting by the current administration. He also revealed that several completed projects are set for commissioning ahead of the President’s third anniversary in office on May 29.
A key component of the approvals is the N1.86 trillion extension of the Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway into Akwa Ibom State. According to the minister, the project involves complex engineering processes due to the swampy terrain.
He explained that construction would require excavation of pits exceeding 12 metres, followed by layered reclamation using lumps and sharp sand to elevate the road to about five metres above the natural ground level. The 165.6-kilometre stretch will be dualised and constructed with reinforced concrete pavement, solar-powered lighting, and modern drainage systems, with a completion timeline of 36 months.
In addition, the council approved the complete demolition and reconstruction of the Carter Bridge in Lagos at a cost of N548.98 billion. Umahi noted that both local and international technical experts concluded that the bridge could no longer be salvaged.
“All the technical experts, all over the country and even internationally, agreed that we could not redeem Carter Bridge and it has to be completely demolished and rebuilt,” he said.
The approvals signal a significant push by the federal government to modernise critical infrastructure and boost economic connectivity nationwide.
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