President Tinubu Approves Funds For Second Niger Bridge And Lafia Bypasses, Lagos-Ibadan Highway

President Bola Tinubu has approved funds for the construction of the second Second Niger Bridge bypass, the Lagos-Ibadan highway and the Lafia bypass, according to Nigeria's minister of work, David Umahi.

The minister announced the funding approval on Thursday during the inspection of the Lafia bypass road and the dualization of the 9th Mile Enugu-Otukpo-Makurdi Road Project in Benue State.

"This one is 260 kilometers and it is 229 kilometers completed. Some sections are not good and I have directed them to go back and work on the first five kilometers, but the rest is beautiful," he said, as per Punch.

Umahi thanked the president for green-lighting the projects, noting that the approval came three days ago with directions to start the work immediately in sectors of the Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano Road.

The minister also recalled facing delays due to funding problems and expressed appreciation for Tinubu for helping resolve the issues by releasing funds immediately. "The same thing with the Lagos-Ibadan highway and the Second Niger Bridge two bypasses," he said.

Umahi then praised the governors of Benue and Enugu states for their efforts to work seamlessly on the roads, ensuring protection for workers. "The flyover you are requesting, we are going to incorporate it. If you are building a road and the people are being inconvenienced or we finished it and it does not solve the problems, we have done nothing," he said. "So, that flyover is very critical and it is very good that we are here."

"From the beginning of the road to here, it must be done in concrete," he said further. "So, anywhere we have bad terrain we will scope it for concrete. We will put the middle of the divide of the two carriageways in the middle of the existing route."

Hyacinth Alia, governor of Benue State, was also present with the minister during the inspection. He thanked Tinubu for making the projects happen. "We are pleased that you are beginning the second phase of the Abuja-Keffi-Lafia 9th Mile Road," he said. "We are very excited that you have already incorporated the prayers we presented to you."

"We thank Mr. President for his thoughtfulness and good heart for the common masses," the governor added. "He is someone who does not want to see people suffer."

Alia also noted that the journey from Abuja to Makurdi used to take four and a half hours, but with this new road, it will be down to three hours.