President Bola Tinubu has approved the extension of the Fourth Legacy Highway by an additional 400 kilometres, increasing the total length of the major road project from roughly 700 kilometres to about 1,100 kilometres.
The announcement was made on Thursday by the Minister of Works, David Umahi, during a media briefing in Abuja.
He also revealed that the President approved several other infrastructure projects, including the reconstruction of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway with reinforced concrete pavement, the completion of the long-abandoned Ibi Bridge in Taraba State, the construction of the 5.76-kilometre Lau Bridge, and the dualisation of another 400 kilometres of the East-West Road.
Umahi described the approvals as a significant boost to the Federal Government’s ongoing infrastructure drive, noting that the projects would enhance transportation, stimulate economic growth, and improve connectivity across different parts of the country.
According to him, the latest decisions reflect President Tinubu’s determination to deliver large-scale infrastructure projects that cut across the nation’s geopolitical zones.
Speaking on the Fourth Legacy Highway, Umahi said the President gave approval for the extension on Wednesday.
“The greatest story is that yesterday, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu approved the addition of 400 kilometres to our Fourth Legacy Road. That is unprecedented,” he said.
He explained that the newly approved section would extend the highway into Taraba State, strengthening links between the North-Central and North-East regions.
Providing more details, the minister said the route would pass through several notable communities before reaching Taraba.
“That project will pass through the place of General Gowon. It will pass through the place of Solomon Lar. It will pass through the place of the present National Chairman of the APC. It goes down to Taraba, and that is unprecedented,” Umahi added.
The Fourth Legacy Highway was initially planned as a dual carriageway connecting Akwanga in Nasarawa State to Maiduguri in Borno State through Plateau, Bauchi, Gombe and Biu. The newly approved extension will expand the corridor further into Taraba State.
On the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Umahi disclosed that President Tinubu had authorised a complete reconstruction of the highway after portions of the road began deteriorating less than five years after rehabilitation.
According to him, the approval supports the ministry’s long-standing advocacy for reinforced concrete pavement instead of asphalt on major federal highways.
“The President approved yesterday the reconstruction of the Lagos-Ibadan Road, and that is the justification for our fight for the use of reinforced concrete pavement,” he said.
Umahi noted that despite repeated maintenance efforts, the asphalt sections continued to fail.
“It is 135 kilometres by two carriageways. That project is not up to five years old, yet it has already started failing. We took journalists there. We took members of the National Assembly there. You could see the road failing. They repaired it, and it still failed,” he stated.
He maintained that reinforced concrete would provide a longer-lasting solution.
“The answer is to reconstruct it using reinforced concrete pavement that will last between 50 and 100 years, maintenance-free,” the minister added.
Umahi also confirmed that the President approved the completion of the Ibi Bridge project in Taraba State, which has remained unfinished for years.
He recalled that construction of the bridge began in 2018 but stalled after reaching about 40 per cent completion.
“That bridge was awarded in 2018, got to about 40 per cent completion and was abandoned. Yesterday, the President approved the review and completion of the Ibi Bridge in Taraba State,” he said.
In addition, the minister announced presidential approval for the construction of the Lau Bridge across the Benue River.
“The Lau Bridge in Taraba State, which is 5.76 kilometres across the river, the President approved that it should be designed, procured and awarded,” Umahi said.
He further disclosed that the administration had approved the dualisation of an additional 400 kilometres of the East-West Road corridor.
“The President also approved 400 kilometres of dualised East-West Road running from Lokoja down to Benin. This is another very important intervention in our road infrastructure,” he stated.