By Oluwabukunmi
Minister of Works, David Umahi, says President Bola Tinubu has directed that all road projects previously funded under the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) tax credit scheme must continue, despite the suspension of the programme.
Umahi, who acknowledged the funding gaps created by the stoppage, said the president is committed to delivering durable road infrastructure nationwide, regardless of criticism from some quarters.
The NNPCL had in 2021 launched the first phase of its tax credit initiative, investing N621.24 billion in the reconstruction of 21 federal roads across the six geopolitical zones. Among them were the Ilorin–Jebba–Mokwa/Bokani Junction Road in Kwara and Niger states, the Suleja–Minna Road, and emergency repairs along Mokwa–Makera–Tegina towards the Kaduna State border.
In 2023, the programme was expanded, with approvals for NNPCL to invest N1.9 trillion in 44 additional federal roads, including the East–West Road, the Port Harcourt–Onne Junction upgrade, the Eket bypass, and the Nembe–Brass Road in Bayelsa State.
Speaking in Benin City during an inspection of the Benin–Warri dual carriageway bypass, Umahi—accompanied by Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo—stressed that Tinubu’s directive reflects the administration’s determination to sustain road development momentum.
He also disclosed that the president has approved a modification of the Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway project to include a 100-kilometre stretch through Edo State, which was not originally part of the alignment.
