The Minister of Works, David Umahi, has announced that the remaining 164 kilometres of the Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano highway will be completed by November, a pledge that comes after years of missed deadlines and a project cost that has ballooned from N155 billion to over N752 billion.
Speaking on Monday when the leadership of the National Association of Nigerian Students paid him a courtesy visit in Abuja, Umahi said the Federal Government had spent more than N200 billion on the project and that over 80 per cent of the current phase had been paid for. “We are back here with the remaining 164 kilometres, 82 kilometres by two. Both of these projects are costing us N752 billion under the President. Over 80 per cent has been paid. We believe that by November, the entire stretch will have been completed,” he said.
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But Nigerians have heard these assurances before. The road project, which connects the Federal Capital Territory with Kaduna, Zaria and Kano, was initially awarded to Julius Berger in 2018 at a cost of less than N155.7 billion with a 36-month completion date. Six years later, less than 50 per cent of the work had been completed. The cost has since spiralled to over N752 billion. In March 2026, Umahi and contractors reiterated their commitment to an April completion date. In September 2025, he insisted on a June 2026 deadline. In January 2025, he promised the project would be completed in 14 months. Now, November 2026 is the new target.
The minister also revealed that the government would deploy “superhighway guards” to protect the road from vandalism, following reports of people stealing reinforcement rods from the concrete pavement. He said solar streetlights would be installed at intervals along the highway to improve safety. Umahi urged Nigerian students to take an active role in monitoring federal projects, warning that there should be no blackmail or intimidation of contractors. He also defended the administration’s spending on infrastructure, arguing that the projects were creating jobs and opening economic opportunities across the country.
The minister’s latest promise follows a pattern of missed deadlines and escalating costs that have characterised the Abuja-Kano road project since its inception. The contract was terminated with Julius Berger after 14 months of negotiations over timeline and pricing. The contractor was said to be owing the federal government N100 billion. Despite the minister’s assurances, Nigerians have every reason to be sceptical. The government that promised to complete the road in 2024, then 2025, then June 2026, is now promising November 2026. The pattern is unmistakable, and Nigerians are tired of being deceived.
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