FG to Pay Julius Berger N280bn to Complete Abuja-Kano Highway

• The federal government will pay Julius Berger N20 billion monthly for 14 months to complete the Abuja-Kano highway project, says Sen. Umahi
• Sen. Umahi expressed concerns over funding delays affecting road projects and urged Julius Berger to focus on timely completion and transparency

The Minister of Works, Sen. David Umahi, has announced that the federal government will pay Julius Berger Construction Company N20 billion monthly over the next 14 months to complete the 82km section of the Abuja-Kano highway the company handles.

During a meeting with Julius Berger to review all road contracts the company is undertaking, the minister expressed concerns over the lack of funds to complete several major roads inherited by the current administration. These roads include the Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano highway, Phase 2 of the Lagos-Ibadan expressway, the Second Niger Bridge, the Third Mainland Bridge, the Iddo Bridge, and the Carter Bridge.

The minister’s media aide, Orji Uchenna Orji, issued a statement explaining that the discussions with Julius Berger were part of the government’s efforts to address delays in road projects caused by price differentials or poor funding. The aim is to assess the company’s performance and agree on funding and milestone completion to alleviate the suffering of road users amid the current economic challenges.

Sen. Umahi urged Julius Berger to be transparent in agreeing on a mutually acceptable plan for executing the projects at revised rates, subject to approval by the Federal Executive Council.

Regarding the specific section of the Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano Road being handled by Julius Berger, the minister praised the quality of work but directed the contractor to focus on completing one carriageway at a time. He also instructed that both carriageways should be filled with stone bases and levelled within three weeks to ease the suffering of road users. The project is expected to be completed within 14 months, with the government committing to monthly payments of N20 billion to Julius Berger.