“When you look at the N3.9 trillion spread and Akwa Ibom is missing again, it fuels the perception that the South-South is being short-changed in federal road capital expenditure,” Engr. Akaninyene Edem
By Ime Silas
President Bola Tinubu has approved 27 federal road projects worth “over N3.9 trillion” across 15 states of the federation, the presidency announced, but the omission of Akwa Ibom State has again drawn attention amid claims of regional exclusion in federal infrastructure allocation.
The fresh approvals, announced on Wednesday, cover Adamawa, Benue, Cross River, Ebonyi, Ekiti, Kogi, Kwara, Lagos, Niger, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Plateau, Taraba, and Yobe states. No project was listed for Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Delta, Rivers or other South-South states.
The development comes at a time when Senate President Godswill Akpabio, a former governor of Akwa Ibom, holds the number three position in the country. Akwa Ibom has repeatedly been left out of major federal road approvals under the current administration, a trend critics say undermines the principle of federal spread.
According to the list released by the Ministry of Works, the single largest allocation is “N1.8 trillion for the re-award of the 409-kilometre dual carriageway project in Niger State under the tax credit scheme to Aliko Dangote.”
Other high-value projects include “N276 billion for the dualisation of Ilorin-Ogbomoso Road” and “N265 billion for the reconstruction of Iseyin-Eruwa-Agbesi Road in Oyo State and Kwara State.”
Minister of Works, David Umahi, who disclosed the approvals, said the projects are designed to “open up trade corridors, reduce travel time, and boost economic activity” across the benefiting regions.
He also gave an update on ongoing works, noting that “the first 118km section of the Abuja-Kaduna-Kano Highway, valued at N137 billion, has been completed, while work on the remaining 164km section is expected to be completed in November.”
The full list shows a concentration of projects in the North Central, South West, North East and South East. For instance, Oyo State alone has five separate interventions totalling over N400 billion, including “N98 billion for the construction of 30km Idi-Araba-Ayede-Olodo Road” and “N82 billion for the rehabilitation of Igbeti Road.” Kwara and Kogi are to share “N104 billion for the rehabilitation of sections 1 and 2 of the Ilorin-Omorin-Ebe-Kabba-Obajana Road.”
In the South East, Ebonyi secured “N116 billion for the 21km Abakaliki-Afikpo Road” and “N86 billion for the reconstruction of Enugu-Abakaliki Road with a flyover.”
Cross River features in “N86 billion for the Adikpo-Ajayi-Tese-Akpa-Otukpo Road in Benue and Cross River State.”
Lagos got “N15.7 billion for the construction of Pacific Road linking Igbe Laara to Ikorodu,” while the federal government also gave “Full business case for the operation and maintenance concession for the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway and the directive to commence reconstruction of the failed sections of the Ibadan axis using concrete.”
Other approvals include “N83 billion for the Jimeta-Mayo Belwa Road project in Adamawa State,” “N62.99 billion for the Tungo-Karamti Road with 5 bridges between Adamawa and Taraba States,” and “N15 billion for the augmentation for a 32.2-kilometre road project in Gashua, Yobe State, which was originally awarded in 2022.”
Akwa Ibom Left Out Again
Despite being home to the Senate President, Akwa Ibom State was absent from the 27-project list. The state has key federal corridors such as the East-West Road, Calabar-Itu Highway, etc, that stakeholders say are in dire need of reconstruction.
Pundits have described the exclusion as “troubling and difficult to explain.” A Port Harcourt-based infrastructure analyst who monitors federal allocations said the pattern raises questions about equity.
“When you look at the N3.9 trillion spread and Akwa Ibom is missing again, it fuels the perception that the South-South is being short-changed in federal road capital expenditure,” Engr. Akaninyene Edem said.
The latest omission adds to previous complaints from Akwa Ibom leaders that federal presence in the state’s road sector has been minimal compared to other regions. The Calabar-Itu-Odukpani federal highway, which links Akwa Ibom to Cross River, has been a subject of repeated advocacy by concerned indigenes and residents of the state.
Regional Reactions and Political Implications
Political observers note that the exclusion could become a talking point in the National Assembly, where the Senate President will be expected to respond to constituents’ concerns. Supporters of the administration argue that the tax credit scheme and ongoing PPP concessions are being prioritized for corridors with higher traffic volume and contractor readiness.
However, critics counter that federal road planning must balance economic viability with constitutional federal character. “Infrastructure is not just about economics, it is also about nation-building and a sense of belonging,” a commentator in Lagos said.
The Ministry of Works has not explained why Akwa Ibom was excluded from this tranche.
Umahi, in his briefing, focused on the scope and timelines of the approved jobs, saying the 27 projects “will be executed under different funding models including budgetary allocation, tax credit, and concessions.”
For now, residents of the 15 listed states are set to see major construction activity, from “N71 billion for the construction of 52km Dabban-Makina Road in Niger State” to “N34 billion for the 18km Ikere-Ekiti-Ijare Road in Ekiti State and Ondo State.”
But in Akwa Ibom, the reaction has been one of disappointment. With the Senate President at the helm of the legislature, many in the state will be watching to see if the next round of approvals will correct what they describe as a recurring blind spot in federal road planning.
