FG targets May 2025 for completion of Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano road

• Commends Julius Berger on quality of job

The Federal Government has targeted May 2025 to complete the Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano road project.

The Minister of Works, David Umahi, disclosed this in Kaduna and Kano during an intermittent media interaction when he paid a working visit to the 375 km-long road.

He lauded the contractor, Julius Berger Nigeria Plc, for its prompt remobilisation to the Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano road, AKR project site, and for working assiduously to assuage the trauma of commuters and related users of the ever-busy highway.

The minister also declared that the months of friction and misunderstanding between his ministry and Julius Berger are over.

Stressing that President Bola Tinubu sent him to address the lingering slowdown on the critical project, the minister said the AKR project should be ready for commissioning on May 29, 2025.

Umahi said the AKR project has been split among three contractors to ensure compliance. Julius Berger ceded some kilometres of the road to Dangote-Hitech Construction Company Limited and BUA Group.

“Mr President directed that we come back to the root today and then hand over the three sections to the three contractors to complete. Our target is to get the job completed by June, about May 29, 2025.

“The first section is about 38 km, which was earlier handed over to Dangote-Hitech on tax credit. We are going to do it on concrete. Certain issues, like the shoulders, were captured before. We also have 2 km at Chainage Zero of the road going to Lokoja. We directed that it should be included.

“So, the Ministry of Works is going to rework that scope of Dangote-Hitech to include that 2 km and include the concreting of the shoulders beyond the 2.75 mandatory shoulders,” he added.

At Km 139 + 520, the minister said: “We are now at the section of Julius Berger, and it’s the last section for Berger.

They have the remaining 82 kilometres by 2, and that is in the Kaduna axis. They also have about 6 kilometres at Chainage 11, which they have to do.

“However, we agreed with Berger that for them to complete this job by May next year, they must work in four sections, and right now, they are working in one section.

“Let me commend Julius Berger very highly for a very good job, quality job, and a lot of what they are doing; we are very happy with the area that has been completed.”

“However, we do not want work on this road, Abuja to Kano, to last beyond May 2025, so we are going to discuss this with Julius Berger. Let me commit that we will be able to pay you within one week for all your outstanding certificates, so if you have any due or new certificates, we will be able to pay you.

“The planned meeting with Julius Berger will discuss how many kilometres of work the company can complete out of the 82km by 2 (which is 164 kilometres) before May 29, 2025.”

He added that Berger’s unfinished work would be handed over to Dangote under tax credit for the first concrete pavement.

The minister directed the Director in charge of Highways at the ministry to coordinate the meeting promptly, adding, “I know you’ve complained about the rate, especially on the network and some concrete work. We are ready to review the rate so you will be happy to work freely.”