The Federal Government of Nigeria has officially declared a state of emergency on the construction of the critical Suleja-Minna road project. This declaration was made by the Minister of Works, David Umahi, during an inspection of the road on Saturday. The decision follows a period of severe concern over the road's condition and the performance of its initial contractor.

Minister Umahi explained that the road project was initially awarded to Salini Nigeria Limited. However, work by Salini had been either poorly executed or abandoned, rendering previous efforts to compel them to repair the road unsuccessful for over a year and a half. The dire state of the road, described by Umahi as “very terrible,” has resulted in travel times being prolonged by seven hours instead of the usual hour and a half, leading to vehicles falling and causing fatalities. Niger State Governor, Mohammed Bago, had directly brought these concerns to President Bola Tinubu, who subsequently directed the Ministry of Works to intervene.

Umahi has now declared sections one and two of the Suleja-Minna road as emergency projects. He emphasized that President Tinubu mandated urgent action, which necessitates an expedited procurement process. Under this emergency procurement, work will commence immediately, with pricing verified afterwards by the Bureau of Public Procurement. Umahi issued a stern warning: any contractor delaying mobilization for even one day will face immediate contract termination, stressing that only those ready to begin work without delay are considered partners in the new Nigeria envisioned by President Tinubu.

The Suleja-Minna road is an inherited project from the previous administration, and the core issue, according to Umahi, has consistently been the contractors. Despite being funded, Salini's work failed comprehensively. The Minister noted that some individuals were still lobbying for Salini to continue the project, which he denounced as