Umahi Applauds Julius Berger For Excellent Work On Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano Road Project

Engr. David Umahi, Minister of Works, has praised frontline engineering construction company Julius Berger Nigeria Plc for its prompt remobilization to its Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano Road, AKR project site and for working tirelessly to alleviate the trauma of commuters and other users of the congested highway.

Umahi spoke to the media intermittently over the weekend in Kaduna and Kano while on a working visit to the 375-kilometer-long road Saturday, claiming that months of friction and misunderstanding between his ministry and Julius Berger are over.

The minister claims that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu sent him to address the lingering slowdown on the critical project. He says the AKR project should be ready for commissioning on May 29, 2025, and completed before then. To ensure compliance, Umahi stated that the AKR project has been divided among three contractors, with Julius Berger ceding some kilometres of the road to Dangote-Hitech Construction Company Limited and BUA Group.

The president directed that we return to the root today and then hand over the three sections to the three contractors to complete, with a target completion date of May 29th 2025 beginning in June.The minister added that the first section is about 38 kilometres long and was previously handed over to Dangote-Hitech on tax credit, and they are going to do it on concrete, but we are looking at the project, and there were some issues that were previously identified, such as the shoulders, and we also have 2 kilometres at Chainage Zero of the road going to Lokoja, which we directed should be included. So, the Ministry of Works will rework Dangote-Hitech’s scope to include the 2km and the concreting of shoulders beyond the 2.75 mandatory shoulder.

At km 139 + 520, the Minister stated that it was part of Julius Berger’s stretch of the highway, as follows: We are now at the Julius Berger section, and it is Berger’s final section. They have 82 kilometres by 2 remaining in the Kaduna axis, as well as approximately 6 kilometres at Chainage 11. However, we agreed with Berger that in order to complete this job by May of next year, they must divide it into four sections, and they are currently working on one.Let me commend Julius Berger on a job well done, a quality job, and much more; we are very pleased with the area that has been completed. We are negotiating with Julius Berger to end work on the Abuja-Kano road by May 29th, 2025. We will pay all outstanding certificates within one week, including new ones.

Stating that the planned meeting with Julius Berger will discuss how many kilometres of work the company can complete out of the 82 kilometres multiplied by two, or 164 kilometres, by May 29th, 2025. He stated that if Berger is unable to complete the project, it will be transferred to Dangote for the first concrete pavement and tax credit. The Minister then directed the Director in Charge of Highways at the Ministry to promptly coordinate the meeting scheduled for Tuesday, adding, “I know you have complained about the rate, particularly on network and some concrete work; we are ready to review the rate so that you can work freely.”

Umahi, who was not done, continued, so again we thank Julius Berger for good quality job; thank you for the commitment; thank you for believing in Mr. President and remobilising even without being paid. But I assure you that Mr. President has given us money to pay you, and we are ready to pay you right away. There will be no more fighting between Julius Berger and the Ministry of Works; we must work together. The fight was not unhealthy; it was actually healthy. Julius Berger wanted a price that they could work with without losing money, and the Ministry of Works argued that they could not pay given the country’s economic situation. So it is a give-and-take, a marriage of partnership and relationships, so there is bound to be some friction. However, I believe the conflict has been resolved. Julius Berger works at Bodo-Bonny and Odukpani, and whenever they are not working, we are willing to sit down with them and see what we can do.

The Minister launched the Ministry’s Operation Free Our Roads with the goal of addressing road failures and reducing accidents.

Umahi mentioned that while on the route, they noticed some sections that Julius Berger and Dangote-Hitech will need to handle immediately. We have Chainages 38 and 39, which require immediate attention in terms of palliatives; we also have Chainage 42.8, which requires palliative care; and we have Chainage 52. You recognise it as a diversion, and a stone base should be placed immediately on it. We have Chainage 68.5, which must be repaired immediately; Chainage 70; and Chainage 86, which is a diversion and must be filled with stone base, among other things.