Umahi Rejects South-East Road Bias

Minister of Works David Umahi has dismissed claims that the Nigerian Government is concentrating on road projects in the South-East.

Umahi spoke during an inspection of the Trans-Sahara Highway project, saying the national road projects are based on approvals from President Bola Tinubu and span the country.

According to Umahi, infrastructure needs, not regional interests, determine where projects are carried out.

The Trans-Sahara Highway runs from Afikpo in Ebonyi State through Benue, Enugu and Kogi states and also terminates at the Owete Bridge, which links the corridor to Abuja.

During the inspection, Umahi directed the contractor to begin work on three sections at once and promised to personally inspect the Ador Bridge during his next visit.

The minister rejected claims that he was favouring the South-East, stressing that details of ongoing national road projects are publicly available.

“They want to gag me on social media when they say I cornered all the road projects to the South-East. So, I am not acting on my own; the President is my boss,” he said.

Umahi also defended infrastructure investment in the South-East, adding that the region should not be left behind in national development.

“Some people are simply dissatisfied that, for the first time, the people of the South-East are receiving their fair share of our national infrastructure. I have always maintained that in terms of infrastructure development, the South-East may not rank first, second, or third, but they will definitely not be the last,” Umahi said.

The minister also defended government borrowing for major infrastructure projects; he said targeted borrowing can be justified when funds are invested in projects that generate long-term economic value.

Umahi cited the 199-kilometre Ebonyi State Ring Road, funded through a $150 million facility during his tenure as governor, and argued that delaying infrastructure projects can increase costs over time.

“We borrowed because we knew precisely how to deploy the funds productively. What kind of economics is that? I do not believe in saving money or hoarding food when the people are hungry,” Umahi said.

He also explained the financing model for four legacy projects under the Tinubu administration and further rejected claims that existing highways had been abandoned for new roads.

“All four legacy projects, for example, have received 30 percent direct Naira funding from the Federal Government, with the remaining 70 percent secured through foreign financing structures. When critics claim we have abandoned existing roads to construct new ones, that is completely untrue,” he said.

He explained that the Trans-Sahara Highway project also involves expanding and rehabilitating existing routes.

“Our route today utilized existing roads that were strategically expanded and rehabilitated,” he said.

Umahi urged Nigerians to support the government’s infrastructure and economic reforms and also pointed to Nigeria’s foreign exchange reserves, which he said stood at about $55 billion. According to the minister, the reserves show that the government has financial support for ongoing development projects.