By Joy Odor Reportcircle News
The Federal Government has launched a decisive counteroffensive against decades of road neglect in Plateau State, commissioning emergency interventions and accelerating long-stalled highway projects in a move officials say is reconnecting cut-off communities and reigniting economic activity across the North-Central corridor.
The push forms part of the Ministry of Works’ national media tour of the region, spotlighting completed emergency repairs and strategic road projects under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
The tour, led by the Federal Ministry of Works, inspected key corridors including the Lafia–Shendam Road and the Babban Lamba–Sharram Road—routes long regarded as economic lifelines but crippled by years of deterioration.
Officials said the interventions reflect the aggressive infrastructure reset being driven by the Minister of Works, Senator Engr. David Umahi, as the administration confronts the massive backlog of inherited projects across the country.
Upon assuming office in May 2023, the Tinubu administration inherited no fewer than 2,064 ongoing federal road projects, many abandoned due to funding shortfalls.
In response, the Federal Government approved 260 emergency road projects nationwide, targeting critically failed sections to restore connectivity, improve safety, and unlock the movement of goods, services and people.
In Plateau State, several of these emergency and special intervention projects were formally commissioned during the tour, while ongoing strategic works were inspected, with the Babban Lamba–Sharram Road serving as the final stop.
The commissioning was performed on behalf of the Minister by the Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Plateau State Council, Mrs Ayiku Pwaspo, who said the era of abandoned federal roads must give way to delivery and durability.
She stressed that the Federal Government’s focus is no longer on project announcements alone, but on timely completion and strict adherence to specifications, noting that functional road infrastructure remains central to sustainable development and national cohesion.
Providing technical insights, the Federal Controller of Works in Plateau State, Engr. Jibril Shua’ibu, said one of the key commissioned projects was the reinstatement of embankment washouts at a culvert and bridge at kilometre 30+250 (Kwande) along the Shendam–Lafia Road.
The intervention covered chainage 38+000 to 38+200 for the culvert washout and chainage 30+250 for the bridge failure.
He disclosed that the project, executed at a cost of ₦824 million, commenced in 2024 and was completed within months, restoring uninterrupted traffic flow along a corridor that had posed serious risks to motorists and traders.
At another failed section of the Lafia–Shendam alignment, Engr. Shua’ibu explained that engineers constructed a 2.0m by 1.5m double-cell box culvert alongside an existing single-cell structure at chainage 1+500, combined with asphalt overlay works.
The intervention, he said, was designed to prevent erosion, address structural failure and significantly improve hydraulic capacity.
The tour also visited an ongoing construction spanning 16 kilometres from the Lafia–Shendam Road junction through Poeship to Ngotuguut towns. According to the Controller, an additional seven-kilometre Section II is currently undergoing procurement.
He revealed that the project, awarded to Messrs Triacta Construction Company at a contract sum of about ₦16 billion, has a 15-month completion timeline and has already reached roughly 52 per cent completion.
Earlier funding challenges, he said, have been resolved, allowing steady progress on site.
Project Manager, Mr Nakhle Abou Yaounde, assured that the contractor remains committed to delivering the road in line with approved specifications and timelines, praising the Ministry’s technical supervision and the cooperation of host communities.
Speaking for the communities, Community Liaison Officer, Pharmacist Senpet Yitnoe, described the Lafia–Shendam Junction–Poeship–Ngotuguut Road as “a road to endless possibilities,” citing improved access to farmlands, schools and markets, and pledged continued community support for the project.
Attention also turned to the Babban Lamba–Sharram Road, a 44.625-kilometre corridor linking previously isolated communities.
Though initially conceived as a rehabilitation project, the Federal Controller said the scope effectively amounts to the construction of an entirely new road, complete with earthworks, sub-base, stone base and flexible pavement layers.
Awarded in 2018 with a 24-month completion timeline, the project had suffered prolonged delays due to funding constraints.
However, following direct ministerial intervention, the contractor has fully remobilised the site.
Active construction is now ongoing from the Sharram end, with multiple gangs and heavy equipment deployed across sections of the corridor.
Project Coordinator for Ric Rock Construction (Nigeria) Limited, Engr. Kenneth, said the road was designed with a 7.3-metre carriageway and 2.75-metre shoulders on both sides will slash travel time between communities from nearly two hours to about 20 minutes.
He added that the project includes multiple bridge structures currently under construction.
Similarly, Site Agent Engr. Augustine Imiere said the road would unlock markets, boost business access and transform socio-economic activity across the region.
He disclosed that the project features extensive drainage systems and five bridges, including multi-span structures, expressing confidence that sustained government backing and community cooperation will see the road delivered soon.
As bulldozers roll and asphalt spreads across Plateau’s once-broken corridors, officials say the message is clear: under the Renewed Hope Agenda, roads are no longer just lines on maps but arteries of opportunity being restored, kilometre by kilometre.
