The federal government has approved N507 billion for Section Two of the Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano Road, covering 164 kilometres.
The Minister of Works, Engineer Dave Umahi, disclosed this on Monday after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided over by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Umahi said the amount was part of N733 billion approved for road infrastructure projects across different regions of the country.
The FEC also approved N24 billion for the construction of Abakpa Flyover in Enugu State, adding that the project was awarded to CCECC to ease traffic congestion in the area, the minister said, adding that another N55 billion was approved for the dualisation of the Odukpani-Itu-Ikot Ekpene Road, which connects Cross River and Akwa Ibom States.
The minister denied that President Tinubu was favouring the South over the North in the allocation of projects especially roads, saying the approvals were based on memos submitted for consideration and not regional considerations.
“The President is committed to completing all the inherited projects. Most of the projects we come here to announce are inherited projects, and the President is committed to continuing them.
“Let me correct that impression because I am not qualified to write to the Senate President to do so. The fact remains that it is the memo that comes to FEC that is approved.”
He said the projects brought before FEC might favour a particular region at some point but did not reflect a deliberate skewing of allocations.
“If tomorrow, a big project is approved for the South-East, nobody should start saying it is unfair,” he stressed.
