The Minister of Works, David Umahi, has disclosed that Section One of the Trans-Sahara Highway project, linking Calabar through Ebonyi State and onward to the north, has reached about 45 percent completion, with more than 2,000 workers already engaged on the project.
Umahi made the disclosure during an inspection of the Calabar-Ebonyi-Benue-Nasarawa-Abuja highway project, where he commended the contractor, Infiouest International, for the pace and quality of work on the corridor.
According to him, the project is one of the federal government’s strategic infrastructure interventions, aimed at opening up the Southeast to greater economic opportunities, improving security and strengthening inter-state connectivity.
“Section One is about 40, I will give them 45 percent in completion. The quality of the concrete pavement is top-notch,” Umahi said.
He explained that the first section covers about 125.5 kilometres, beginning from the Ndibe Beach axis and passing through communities including Akpoha, Abomege, Amudo and Onueke, as well as parts of Ezza North and Ebonyi Local Government Areas.
The minister said some portions of the alignment were being dualised to accommodate growing economic activities and urban development, citing the 8.9-kilometre stretch around Afikpo and a two-kilometre section at Abomege among areas receiving special attention.
Umahi further disclosed that Section Two, which extends into Benue State and other states, covers about 173.6 kilometres and has a contract value of approximately ₦683 billion, adding that the Federal government had already paid 30 per cent of the contract sum.
“There is nothing stopping the contractor from working,” he said, stressing that the project would ultimately provide a major transportation corridor linking the Southeast with other parts of the country.
The minister said the broader route would facilitate faster movement of agricultural produce, goods and people while improving security through the installation of CCTV surveillance and solar-powered lighting infrastructure.
He also disclosed that Infiouest had created employment opportunities for more than 2,000 people within the first section of the project.
“Within the first section of the road, Infiouest has employed over 2,000 people,” Umahi said, describing the project as a major source of direct and indirect employment and economic activity.
Earlier, theeEngineer in charge of Section One, Mohammed Mustapha, said the contractor has made significant progress on the alignment, noting that the section has advanced from Afikpo to the Mbeke axis.
“We are almost at 40 percent of the project, starting from Afikpo to reach Mbeke here,” Mustapha said while receiving the minister during the inspection.
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The engineer in charge of Section Two, Rabih Munayyar, said the contractor is accelerating mobilisation and construction activities, including bush clearing and other preparatory works.
He commended the minister’s technical supervision of the project, saying, “I have never seen anybody so technically professional. Really, I’m impressed.”
Also speaking, the acting Controller of the Trans-Sahara Road Project in Ebonyi State, Maxwell Oko, said the inspection point was at kilometre 118+300 of Section Two.
Oko explained that Section One runs from the Ndibe Beach axis through several communities in Ebonyi State, with major structures including flyovers at Onueke and Ukwachi Junctions, as well as other proposed and ongoing bridge infrastructure.
He said Section One was awarded at approximately ₦454 billion, while Section Two was awarded to Infiouest International at about ₦683 billion.
