The construction or rather dualization of the Abuja-Abaji-Lokoja highway in Nigeria is set to be completed in December this year at the latest.
This was announced by Eng. Funso Adebiyi, the Director of Highway, Construction and Rehabilitation under the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing during an inspection tour of section one of the project (Zuba-Gbwagbwalada-Sheda axis to be precise).
Eng. Adebiyi guaranteed that the road projects have attained various stages of completion and that they would be completed within the stipulated time.
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The project contractors
The contract for the dualization of the 196 kilometers Abuja-Lokoja road was awarded in four sections under the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo back in 2006 with a completion timeline of 30 months.
The four sections are Juba to Sheda (42 kilometers), Sheda to Abaji (57 kilometers), Abaji to Kotonkarfe, and Kotonkarfe to Lokoja. The first and the second sections were awarded to DANTATA & SAWOE Construction Company ( Nigeria ) Ltd., and Reynolds Construction Company (RCC Nigeria) Limited respectively, while the third and the fourth sections were worn by Bulletine Construction Limited and Gitto Costruzioni Generali Nigeria Ltd.
Valued at a total cost of N42.3 billion at the time of award, the contracts have gone through various contracts’ variation with each succeeding minister at the Ministry of Works and Housing which have seen the cost witness several upward reviews over time.
Importance of the Abuja-Abaji-Lokoja highway
The Abuja-Abaji-Lokoja Federal Highway is one of the roads that play a very important role in the being of the West African nation in terms of movement of goods, people, and other necessities through vehicular transportation.
It links the entire southern region of the country to the seat of the power i.e. the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), and to the rest of the Northern states.
