By Adedapo Adesanya

The federal government said it has completed the first section of 118-kilometre of the Abuja-Kaduna-Kano Highway, costing N257 billion, with the last section of 164-kilometre to be completed by November 2026.

The Minister of Works, Mr David Umahi, announced the development while briefing journalists after the Federal Executive Council meeting held at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Monday.

According to him, President Bola Tinubu has approved 27 road projects valued at over N3.9 trillion across 15 states as part of the Federal Government’s drive to improve road infrastructure nationwide.

According to the minister, the approved projects span Adamawa, Benue, Cross River, Ebonyi, Ekiti, Kogi, Kwara, Lagos, Niger, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Plateau, Taraba, and Yobe states.

Mr Umahi said the council approved the re-award of the 409-kilometre dual carriageway project in Niger State under the tax credit scheme to businessman Aliko Dangote at a cost of N1.8 trillion.

“Other major approvals include N276 billion for the dualisation of the Ilorin-Ogbomoso Road; N265 billion for the reconstruction of the Iseyin-Eruwa-Agbesi Road linking Oyo and Kwara states; N217 billion for the dualisation of the old alignment from Ijaye through the Federal Government College to Ilorin Road with a spur to Akinmorin; and N116 billion for the 21-kilometre Abakaliki-Afikpo Road in Ebonyi State.

“The council also approved N110 billion for the Ogbomoso-Oko-Illupu Road in Oyo and Osun states; N104 billion for the rehabilitation of Sections One and Two of the Ilorin-Omorin-Ebe-Kabba-Obajana Road in Kwara and Kogi states; N98 billion for the construction of the 30-kilometre Idi-Araba-Ayede-Olodo Road in Oyo State; and N92 billion for the rehabilitation of the Baban-Lamba-Sharan Phase Two Road in Plateau State,” he said.

The minister stated that other approvals include N86 billion each for the reconstruction of the Enugu-Abakaliki Road with a flyover and the Adikpo-Ajayi-Tese-Akpa-Otukpo Road traversing Benue and Cross River states.

“Projects approved by the council further include N83 billion for the Jimeta-Mayo Belwa Road in Adamawa State; N82 billion for the rehabilitation of Igbeti Road in Oyo State; N74 billion for the construction of the Igbeti-Soro-Kishi Road in Oyo State; N71 billion for the 52-kilometre Dabban-Makina Road in Niger State; and N62.99 billion for the Tungo-Karamti Road with five bridges connecting Adamawa and Taraba states.

“The council also approved N58 billion for the rehabilitation of the Yola-Hong-Mubi Road Phase Two; N46 billion for the Amasiri-Okporojo Road; N34 billion for the 18-kilometre Ikere-Ekiti-Ijare Road linking Ekiti and Ondo states; N26 billion for a new flyover on the ongoing Trans-Sahara Road; N24.7 billion for the rehabilitation of the Kabba-Ifaki-Ado Ekiti Road linking Kogi and Ekiti states; and N21 billion for the construction of a flyover at Oko-Olowo Junction in Kwara State.

“Additional approvals include N15.7 billion for the construction of the Pacific Road linking Igbe Laara to Ikorodu in Lagos State; N15.5 billion for the 13-kilometre Badeku-Jaiye Road in Oyo State; N15.246 billion for Phase Two of the Yola-Fufore-Gurin Road project in Adamawa State, covering an additional 20 kilometres after the completion of the first 17-kilometre phase; and N15 billion as augmentation for the 32.2-kilometre Gashua Road project in Yobe State, which was originally awarded in 2022,” he stated.

Mr Umahi also said the council approved the full business case for the operation and maintenance concession of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway and directed the commencement of reconstruction of failed sections along the Ibadan axis using concrete pavement.

By Adedapo Adesanya

Nigeria has announced the discovery of new deposits of valuable copper, lithium, and rare earth minerals, boosting efforts to further diversify the country’s economy away from oil.

The Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals Development received a new report identifying Nigeria’s abundant lithium, copper and bauxite deposits as strategic resources capable of accelerating the country’s transition to clean energy and supporting domestic industrialisation.

The report, presented on Monday in Abuja by the Council for Critical Minerals Development in the Global South, outlines how Nigeria can leverage its mineral wealth to meet growing demand for renewable energy technologies while retaining more value within the country.

According to a statement by the minister’s Special Assistant on Media, Mrs Lara Owoeye-Wise, the report was formally handed over to the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Mr Dele Alake, at the State House Conference Centre.

The report comes days after the Minister, Mr Dele Alake, announced the discovery of what the government described as a world-class polymetallic mineral province in Kaduna State containing deposits of platinum group metals, gold, nickel, copper, lithium and rare earth elements.

The minister said the discovery, verified by the Nigerian Geological Survey Agency (NGSA), ranks among the most significant developments in Nigeria’s mining sector in recent years and strengthens the country’s critical minerals potential.

The latest report examines Nigeria’s projected demand for solar photovoltaic (PV) systems, battery storage technologies and electric vehicles alongside current mineral production and trade patterns.

It concludes that the country’s deposits of lithium, copper and bauxite closely match the minerals required to support the transition to cleaner energy sources.

According to the statement, the report also identifies existing gaps in Nigeria’s mineral value chain and proposes policy measures to maximise the economic benefits of the country’s natural resources.

Receiving the report, Mr Alake said it provides practical policy guidance for Nigeria’s efforts to transform its mineral resources into a foundation for green industrial development.

“By mapping domestic demand, supply and trade patterns, this report provides mineral-specific policy pathways to leverage Nigeria’s resources for our own green industrialisation,” he said.

He added that the report aligns with the ministry’s broader objective of ensuring that Nigeria moves beyond exporting raw minerals to developing local industries that create jobs and add value to the economy.

By Adedapo Adesanya

The federal government has revealed that the implementation of capital projects across the country is significantly higher than figures often reported in the public domain.

It promised to launch a more transparent reporting system that will enable Nigerians to track budget performance in real time.

The government also disclosed that President Bola Tinubu had directed the harmonisation of federal projects to improve transparency, coordination and public accountability.

The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr Taiwo Oyedele, stated this during a panel session titled Reforms in Focus: The Milestones, the Challenges, the Prospects, at the fifth Nigeria Employers’ Summit in Abuja.

The minister admitted that the government could do better in budget implementation but maintained that the narrative around poor execution of capital projects did not fully reflect reality.

“On public finance and budget implementation, especially capital projects, I would agree that we can do much better with our budget, including what we budget for and how we implement it.

“But I can also tell you that budget implementation is far better than what you see and what you hear. Take capital budget implementation, for example. Some of it is not properly reported.

“You see, some of the execution of capital projects is done at the agency level. Some of them are landmark and legacy projects, and because of the nature of these projects, the reporting does not come in immediately.”

According to him, the delay in reporting has created a gap between actual project implementation and public perception. He said the Ministry of Finance was already working on a system that would provide a clearer and more transparent picture of government spending and project execution.

“Part of the work we are doing at the Ministry of Finance is to provide this reporting in a way that is clear and transparent. Very soon, you will find that the information will be readily available simply by going to the Ministry of Finance website.

“You will see that the percentage of implementation of capital projects is much higher than what you read in the newspapers,” he stated.

Mr Oyedele further disclosed that the government was working with the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning to reform project implementation and consolidate information on federal projects on one platform.

“We are also working with the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning on the reforms that we need for projects. Mr President has already given the direction that we should harmonise the projects. Having just one platform where you can find everything at once is a lot better for transparency and accountability,” he said.