The Federal Government has officially opened a completed section of the Enugu–Onitsha Expressway, reaffirming its commitment to improving road infrastructure across the Southeast and Nigeria in general.
Senior Special Assistant to the Minister of Works on Media, Francis Nwaze announced this in a statement on Friday.
Speaking during the event on Thursday, April 2, 2026, the Minister of Works, Engr. David Umahi pondered on the past condition of the road and its importance to the region:
“The journey of Enugu to Onitsha was taking about 7 hours before 2023. The most important road in South East is this road”, he said.
He explained that the project, which was initially under a tax credit arrangement involving MTN Nigeria and executed by RCC, had stalled before quick intervention from the President.
According to the Minister, “we inherited this road under Tax credit of MTN and executed for them by RCC but everything was on stand still until I went to plead with President Tinubu.”
Umahi said, the President’s intervention brought renewed direction and improved construction standards:
“The President didn’t only give acceleration to the construction of this road but he directed that atleast 50% of it must be on concrete and like that of Lagos Calabar coastal Highway”, he said.
He added that the project had earlier been awarded without significant progress before the current administration reviewed and restructured it:
“The project was awarded before the coming of President Tinubu with no meaningful progress made. We reviewed it and allow MTN to continue with their contract sum excluding 72KM”, he said.
Highlighting the scale of commitment, he said:
“It takes a lot of courage to do what President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is doing. The entire road is being reconstructed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.”
Providing updates on the current status, the Minister noted:
“The first 50km of reinforced concrete pavement is about 97% completed but the President directed me to come and open the road so that the people of SouthEast will not suffer during the Easter period and that why I am here to open the first 15km of the road.”
He further outlined several ongoing and completed road projects across the Southeast:
“The third legacy project is connecting southeast to Abuja in less than 4 hours. The section of that project is going on in southeast, 123km, 455b and it’s being done in reinforced concrete pavement.
“That is not enough, we have Afikpo-Uturu-Okigwe, 64km, it’s being reconstructed under Dangote Tax credit, 193b, concret work is ongoing.
“The Aba Ikot Ekpene Road, 1 Carriageway is completed, the second one is being engaged.
“Umuahia-Ikot Ekpene is 95 percent done.
“The Umuahia – Aba being executed by Arab contractors is 99% done.
“The Owerri-Aba road, being constructed by Arab contractors is 70% done.
“The second Niger By Pass, 17.5km with multiple bridge and flyovers, 174b, being done by CGC, that work is ongoing, 30% being paid for.
“The Enugu-Abakaliki, 183b, 30% fully paid, that project is ongoing.
“You come to multiple section, Enugu to Portharcourt. First section from Enugu being done by CGC, 60km dualized, about 70% of that project is done. We have directed that the remaining project of about 64km should be done on concrete. That is being done by CGC and that is 100b.
“You come to the Setraco section, 99% finished. You come to the Arab contractors from Umuahia to Aba, 99% finished. Infact, we have to change the section in Aba, the last lane to be on concrete.
“You come to Aba to Portharcourt, it’s being done by CCECC, one full carriageway done, second carriageway redesigned to be done on concrete. Time will fail us to say all that the President is doing in SouthEast. Owerri – Onitsha, that project is ongoing by CGC.
“You come to one of the biggest Flyover in the country at Ekeobinagu, that project is 99% done. It’s almost 1km of Flyover. You all witnesses to the quality and the beauty and it’s for the President to commission it.
“When you talk about fuel economy and so on and so forth, strategic meeting was held yesterday on how to handle the unfortunate incident of the Iran war which has brought hardship on our people, so, the president is not asleep on this”, he said.
He further called on regional leaders saying, “I want our leader the Governor of Imo State to charge all the leaders of South East to be very vocal about supporting the President.
“We will not support the President keeping quiet. Leaders must meet. We must collectively proclaim what President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is doing for us.
“And I am bold to say that all the Governors of southeast are supporting President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
“But we have to take it down to our supporters, let them know what the president is doing for us.
“Let them know that when we appreciate what he has done for us, he will do more for us”.
He emphasized the essence of governance:
“Governance is about development. Governance is about infrastructure. Governance is about fairness, equality and justice.
“For the first time, we are part of being at the helm of affairs. As we are developing other regions through the support, finances, leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, South East for the first time is not left behind”, he said.
