By: Goodluck E. Adubazi, Abuja.

In a high-profile show of urgency and accountability, Nigeria’s Federal Government on January 12, 2026, launched an emergency road intervention in Kogi State while opening its books to national scrutiny through a sweeping media tour of critical highway projects.

The inspection, led by the Federal Ministry of Works and joined by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Community Engagement (North Central), Dr. Abiodun Essiet, focused on one of the country’s most strategic — and troubled — transport corridors: the Abuja–Lokoja Expressway.

The visit also marked the formal commissioning of the Itobe–Ayingba Road Emergency Intervention Project, a key federal link serving industrial and commercial hubs in the state.
The tour, the first stop in the North Central zone, brought together journalists, civil society groups, engineers, and regulators, underscoring the government’s push to combine infrastructure delivery with public oversight.
A Highway That Connects a Nation
Standing before cameras at the Abuja–Lokoja corridor, Dr. Essiet described the highway as a “national lifeline,” linking Northern and Southern Nigeria. She said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved sustained funding for critical road infrastructure nationwide, while directing contractors to accelerate work without compromising standards.

She praised host communities and security agencies — including the Nigeria Police Force and the Federal Road Safety Corps — for managing traffic diversions on the heavily congested route. According to her, enhanced security arrangements are now being put in place to allow night-time construction where necessary.
Billions Spent, Progress Scrutinised
Project engineers disclosed that reconstruction of Section III of the Abuja–Lokoja Expressway (Abaji–Koton Karfe) is being executed with a composite pavement system combining concrete and asphalt.
Engineering Representative Engr. Zira Adamu told the media that eight kilometres of rigid concrete pavement and 13.8 kilometres of asphalt binder course have been completed so far. Overall completion stands at just over 10 percent, despite more than two-thirds of the contract timeline having elapsed.

The project carries a price tag of nearly ₦90 billion.
Awarded in March 2022 with a three-year completion window, the project has been slowed by traffic congestion and security challenges. Construction is being handled by Messrs Geld Limited/Triacta (Nigeria) Limited on the Lokoja-bound carriageway, and Trucrete Solutions Limited on the Abuja-bound section.

The Federal Controller of Works in Kogi State, Engr. Patiko Musa, assured the public that additional equipment and work gangs are being mobilised to speed up delivery.
Emergency Fix for a Dangerous Stretch.

A major highlight of the visit was the commissioning of the
Itobe–Ayingba Road Special Intervention Project — a 1.6-kilometre emergency repair completed at a cost of ₦972 million.
Dr. Essiet commissioned the project on behalf of the President.
The road is part of a broader nationwide response to inherited infrastructure failures, with the current administration undertaking more than 260 emergency interventions across the country out of over 2,000 inherited road and bridge projects.

The Itobe–Ayingba Road is a critical connector linking eastern, central, and western Kogi, and serving major industrial corridors that host one of Africa’s largest cement factories and Nigeria’s biggest iron and steel complex.
Works executed included pavement reconstruction, drainage desilting, pothole repairs, asphalt surfacing, and road markings.
Community leaders and professional bodies, including the Nigerian Society of Engineers (Lokoja Branch), said the intervention has already reduced accidents and boosted economic activity.
Frustration Over Slow Progress Elsewhere
Not all inspections drew praise. At the Lokoja–Okene section of the Lokoja–Benin Road dualisation project, Dr. Essiet expressed concern over the slow pace of work by the contractor, Messrs CCG (Nig.) Limited, urging immediate improvement. Community members complained of dust pollution from construction activities, prompting warnings on environmental and public health compliance.
Security Steps and Calls for Accountability

In a bid to overcome security-related delays, Dr. Essiet met with the Commander of the 12 Brigade of the Nigerian Army in Lokoja, Brigadier General Kasim Umar Sidi, who pledged 24-hour security coverage for construction firms upon request.
State officials and civil society representatives welcomed the federal presence but pressed for strict adherence to specifications and timelines.

As the media convoy moved on to inspect additional projects — including sections of the Abuja–Lokoja Expressway and the Lokoja–Ganaja Road — the message from Kogi was clear: Nigeria’s infrastructure push is under the spotlight, and expectations are rising just as fast as the budget lines.