General
FG to Rehabilitate 10 Roads for N169.7bn
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
As part of federal government’s Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP), 10 road projects across the country have been pencilled down for rehabilitation.
The roads, which is expected to create not less than 2,750 direct jobs, with over 90 percent to be taken up by Nigerian workers, will improve the country’s transportation infrastructure and restore nation’s road network. The roads, when completed, will open up settlements, provide access for evacuation of goods and services and improve socio-economic lives of the beneficiary communities.
Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola, who confirmed this development, said the Federal Executive Council (FEC) has already approved the award of N169.74 billion contracts for the 10 roads.
He said the approval was sequel to a memorandum presented to the council by him on May 2, 2019 and that it covers the Rehabilitation of the Umuahia (Ikwuano)-Ikot Ekpene Road, Umuahia, Umudike in Abia State, Rehabilitation of Calabar-Oban-Ekang Road (Section1) in Cross River State, Construction of Yola-Fufore-Gurin Road in Adamawa State, Rehabilitation of Ado-Ekiti –Igede-Aramoko-Itawure Road in Ekiti State and Rehabilitation of Funtua-Dandume-Kaduna State Border Road in Katsina State.
Others, according to the memorandum, are the rehabilitation of Makurdi-Gboko-Katsina-Ala Road (Yandev-Katsina-Ala Section) in Benue State, Rehabilitation of Old Enugu-Onitsha Road (Opi Junction-Ukehe-Okpatu-Aboh Udi-Oji to Anambra Border), Rehabilitation and Dualization of the 74KM (Approximately) Aba-Ikot Ekpene Road in Abia/Akwa Ibom States, Construction of 4 kilometre Township Road in Gaya Local Government Area of Kano State and Rehabilitation of Billiri-Filiya-Taraba State Border Road in Gombe State.
While the Umuahia (Ikwuano)-Ikot Ekpene Road is awarded to Messrs Hartland Nigeria Limited/ Raycon and Company Nigeria Limited in the sum of N13,296,283,958.68 with a completion date of 48 months, the Rehabilitation of Calabar-Oban-Ekang Road (Section1) in Cross River State is awarded to Messrs Setraco Nigeria Limited in the sum of N27,781,851,866.55 with a completion date of 24 months while the construction of Yola-Furore-Gurin Road (approximately 56KM) is awarded to Messrs Wiz China Worldwide Engineering Limited in the sum of N13,643,670,884.81 with a completion date of 12 months.
The Rehabilitation of Ado-Ekiti–Igede-Aramoko-Itawure Road in Ekiti State (35KM approximately), according to the memorandum, is awarded to Messrs Deux Projects Limited/Hitech Construction Company Limited at N14,838,220,269.00 with a completion period of 30 months, while the Rehabilitation of Funtua-Dandume-Kaduna State Border Road in Katsina State is awarded to Messrs Rabash Enterprises Nigeria Limited/Afdin Construction Limited in the sum of N9,887,040,586.50 with a completion period of 24 months.
The memorandum also shows that while Messrs Rockbridge Construction Limited will rehabilitate the 43 Km (approximately) Makurdi-Gboko-Katsina-Ala Road (Yandev-Katsina-Ala Section) in 24 months at the cost of N11,892,018,600.00, Messrs Arab Contractors O.A.O Nigeria Limited will rehabilitate Old Enugu-Onitsha Road (Opi Junction-Ukehe-Okpatu-Aboh Udi-Oji to Anambra Border) (Approximately 90Km) in 24 months at the cost of N31,946,055,289.93 and Messrs CGGC Global Project will rehabilitate and dualize the Aba-Ikot Ekpene Road in 24 months at the cost of N30,649,735,111.38.
Also included in the award are the construction of a 4 kilometre Township Road in Gaya Local Government Area of Kano State by Messrs Birak Engineering & Construction Company Limited in the sum of N1,755,086,798.85 with a completion period of 12 months and the rehabilitation of Billiri-Filiya-Taraba State Border Road by Messrs Triacta Nigeria Limited to be completed within 24 months in the sum of N14,048,396,236.88.
Stating that his Ministry, towards the realization of Federal Government’s objectives of restoring growth and investing in the people, decided to initiate the new road reconstruction and rehabilitation projects in some states of the Federation to open up settlements, provide access for evacuation of goods and services as well as improve the socio-economic lives of the people within the stretch of the different communities in the project areas, Fashola said the 50KM Umuahia (Ikwuano)-Ikot-Ekpene Road would create between 180 to 200 jobs with 90 per cent of the jobs for Nigerians and 10 per cent for expatriates.
According to him, while the rehabilitation of the approximately 60 Km Calabar-Oban-Ekang Road (Section1) in Cross River State, will generate between 400 and 500 jobs with 40 per cent of the jobs for Senior Nigerians and 100 per cent for intermediate workers, the construction of Yola-Furore-Gurin Road in Adamawa State, will generate no less than 300 jobs with 90 per cent reserved for Nigerians and 10 per cent for expatriates.
Also while 200-250 workers will be employed in the rehabilitation of Ado-Ekiti –Igede-Aramoko-Itawure Road in Ekiti State with 90 per cent of the jobs to be handled by Nigerians and 10 per cent by expatriates, the rehabilitation of Funtua-Dandume-Kaduna State Border Road in Katsina State will generate 200 jobs with 80 per cent for Nigerians and 20 per cent for expatriates.
In the rehabilitation of Makurdi-Gboko-Katsina-Ala Road (Yandev-Katsina-Ala Section)in Benue State, according to the Minister, 100 workers will be employed with 90 per cent of them Nigerians and 10 per cent expatriates while 400-500 workers will be employed in the rehabilitation of Old Enugu-Onitsha Road (Opi Junction-Ukehe-Okpatu-Aboh Udi-Oji to Anambra Border) with Nigerians constituting 90 per cent while expatriates will make up the remaining 10 per cent of the work force.
The rehabilitation and Dualization of Aba-Ikot Ekpene Road in Abia/Akwa Ibom States will, according to the Minister, generate 200 jobs with Nigerians taking 80 per cent of the jobs and expatriates take 10 per cent. And also while 200 workers will be employed in the construction of the 4 kilometre Township Road in Gaya Local Government Area of Kano State with 10 per cent of the jobs to be done by expatriates and 90 per cent by Nigerians, the rehabilitation of Billiri-Filiya-Taraba State Border Road in Gombe State will generate 300 jobs with 90 per cent for Nigerians and expatriates making up the remaining 10 per cent of the workforce.
While itemizing the Scope of Works to be covered in each of the Projects, the Minister also gave extensive details of the procurement processes which began under the 2018 Appropriation with newspaper advertisements in July 2018 and culminated in the certification and issuance of a Due Process Certificate of “ No Objection” for each of the 10 Projects by the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP).
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has explained why it initiated a move to freeze the bank account of the Osun State government.
Earlier on Wednesday, the Governor of Osun State, Mr Ademola Adeleke, claimed that the anti-money laundering agency asked one of its bankers, First Bank, not to release funds to the state government.
According to the Governor, this was part of the strategies to frustrate his administration ahead of the August 15, 2026, governorship election in the state.
Reacting to the issue on Wednesday night, the EFCC, in a statement, said it has been investigating the state government since March 2026 over an alleged “fraudulent handling of Ecology Funds, Intervention Funds and Federal Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) account to the tune of N11.0 billion.
The organisation noted that some officials of the state government, especially the Accountant General of the State, have had interview sessions with investigators of the EFCC.
“These ongoing investigations of the state government would not have warranted any placement of Post No Debit order on its account but for the precipitate and unwarranted movement of funds from the accounts to different suspicious accounts since August 2, 2026.
“The commission noticed huge transfers of funds into different corporate entities and had to swiftly halt the trend by freezing the accounts from which such heavy funds are being moved,” parts of the statement said.
In the disclosure, the agency noted that its preventive mandate is a public-inclined framework of safeguarding public funds, assets and resources, stressing that it cannot “watch idly while a state government’s account is being pillaged.”
“While the commission is fully aware of the impending governorship election in Osun State, it has a responsibility to act in defence of the sanctity of the funds of the state. It will be uncharitable for the commission to allow an excuse of an upcoming election to fold its arms to perform its legally-assigned functions,” it pointed out.
The EFCC disclosed that it is “keeping watch over the finances of other states like Osun State. Many of these states are on the investigative radar of the commission to ensure accountability and probity. The commission has always pointed out that it is non-partisan and non-sectarian but always working in the overall interests of Nigerians. The Osun State government account was frozen to save public funds from being looted.”
The organisation urged the public “to ignore false narratives and deliberate demonisation of the works of the EFCC. The interests of all Nigerians are greater and will always be protected by the commission.”
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) has launched a mobile application designed to monitor fuel consumption patterns in real time across retail outlets nationwide.
The NMDPRA, established under the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021, is responsible for the technical and commercial regulation of Nigeria’s midstream and downstream petroleum operations. The deployment of the mobile application aligns with the authority’s broader efforts to leverage technology to improve regulatory compliance and strengthen accountability.
The pilot phase of the project began on August 1 in Abuja and its six Area Councils, the authority said in a statement published on X.
As part of the rollout, the Executive Director for Distribution Systems, Storage and Retailing Infrastructure (DSSRI), Mr Ogbugo Ukoha, led a team alongside officials from the Abuja Regional Office to assess the readiness and operational performance of the digital platform at participating retail outlets.
According to the NMDPRA, the application captures inventory and compliance data in real time, enabling regulators to monitor fuel distribution more effectively while improving operational efficiency across the sector.
The authority said the platform would generate reliable, data-driven insights to support evidence-based decision-making, strengthen national energy security planning and enhance transparency in the downstream petroleum industry.
It added that the initiative is expected to provide significant value to government, investors, operators and other stakeholders by improving access to accurate fuel consumption and compliance data.
Nigeria’s downstream petroleum sector has undergone significant changes since the deregulation of the petrol market and the removal of fuel subsidies, with regulators placing greater emphasis on data-driven supervision to ensure product availability, prevent supply disruptions and discourage sharp regional disparities in distribution.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
No doubt, moving money among African markets remains a slow, fragmented process that relies on multiple intermediaries and prolonged settlement cycles.
To solve this issue and drive the development of stablecoin-enabled payment services for businesses across the continent, Onafriq has joined forces with a leading stablecoin infrastructure provider, Privy.
The collaboration will enable Onafriq to create and manage embedded digital asset solutions for its partners and, in time, institutional clients where regulation allows. The initial phase focuses on cross-chain stablecoin transfers and treasury and settlement workflows, creating the foundation for future cross-border payment and liquidity solutions.
Integrating Privy’s secure infrastructure enables Onafriq to build the capabilities required to support a new generation of efficient digital payment services for banks, fintechs, and mobile money operators.
This partnership is a key component of Onafriq’s broader strategy to modernise pan-African payment infrastructure, enabling secure multi-modal wallets and more efficient movement of value across the continent.
The outcome will support a range of future institutional use cases, including stablecoin-enabled settlement, treasury management and liquidity services, as it reflects Onafriq’s commitment to driving Africa’s digital transformation agenda by investing in technologies that make financial services more efficient, connected and accessible.
It was gathered that Onafriq selected Privy for its enterprise-grade infrastructure to enable the seamless integration of digital asset wallet capabilities into its products, subject to regulatory approval, and deliver a simple user experience while abstracting the complexity of blockchain technology.
“At Onafriq, we keep investing in technology that makes payments faster and more accessible. Privy gives us a building block for faster settlement and better liquidity management. As demand for digital asset services grows, our goal is to ensure Africa’s payment ecosystem benefits securely and in line with regulatory frameworks,” the Group Chief Product and Innovation Officer at Onafriq,” Mr Luke Kyohere, said.
The chief executive of Privy, Mr Henri Stern, said, “Stablecoins will play an increasingly important role in the future of global payments, but real-world adoption depends on infrastructure that is secure, scalable and simple to implement. Working with Onafriq allows us to help build that foundation across Africa and beyond.”
