As gathered from senior officials from the Ministry of Works, the decision followed months of mounting concerns over stalled progress, repeated delays and widening complaints from road users who have endured severe disruptions along one of Nigeria’s busiest highway corridors.
They noted that the ministry had exhausted internal compliance measures before moving to terminate the affected contracts.
The ministry also confirmed that contractors handling the reconstruction of the Okene–Ajaokuta–Itobe corridor and sections of the Lokoja–Shintaku–Dekina–Ayingba axis had failed to meet delivery timelines despite earlier warnings, prompting a final assessment that recommended immediate action.
The announcement was made yesterday in Abuja after a review meeting between the Ministry of Works and selected contractors. The ministry said the contracts, many awarded between 2022 and 2024, had recorded extremely low completion percentages despite significant time elapsed.
Speaking through the Director of Press and Public Relations, Mohammed Ahmed, the Minister of Works, David Umahi, said some terminations were mutual, adding that affected contractors were directed to work only within the limit of earlier advance payments. “There was mutual termination of the contract based on effusion of time. The contractor should work within the limit of the advance paid to them, after which a final determination account is to be carried out,” he said.
One of the terminated projects was the rehabilitation of Abuja–Lokoja Section 4A handled by Messrs Venus Construction Nigeria Ltd, awarded on July 13, 2024, but recorded just 33.79 per cent completion even after more than 131 per cent of the contract time had elapsed. Another was the culverts and drains project on Section 2 of the same highway, handled by Messrs Sadogi Nigeria Ltd, which delivered only 39.04 per cent work despite exceeding its schedule.
The Okene–Ajaokuta–Itobe reconstruction contract, awarded on November 18, 2022 and executed by CCECC Nigeria Ltd, was also mutually terminated after delivering only 2.02 per cent progress, while the Lokoja–Shintaku–Dekina–Ayingba rehabilitation project handled by TEC Engineering Company Nigeria Ltd showed only 1.04 per cent completion.
Umahi said the contractor for the flooded section of Abuja–Lokoja Section IVB, Messrs Sailthrough Engineering Service Ltd, had been given a December 20 deadline after submitting a renewed commitment letter, even as the ministry acknowledged outstanding payments.
He added that Messrs Geld/Triacta Nigeria Limited, a joint venture handling Section III of the dualisation project from Abaji to Koton Karfe, had been ordered to return to site within seven days to address critical failed portions.
The minister praised JRB Construction Nigeria Ltd for what he described as commendable progress on Section 1 of the Abuja–Lokoja road, directing the company to complete the remaining works before December 10. He said all terminated projects would be compiled for immediate emergency intervention under a separate mechanism.
Umahi thanked President Bola Tinubu for supporting the rehabilitation of the entire 358-kilometre Abuja–Lokoja stretch and appealed to motorists to bear with the government. “We apologise to road users for the inconveniences on the Abuja–Lokoja expressway. The disruptions are due to multiple ongoing intervention projects, and we assure the public that work will be completed soon,” he said.
