Fatima Haliru —
Nigeria’s Minister for State of Housing and Works, Umar El-Yakub last weekend at the opening of the 43rd International Trade Fair organized by the Kano State Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture in the state capital, Kano, said reconstruction work on the first phase of the Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano highway would be completed by the first quarter of 2023.
The variation in the reconstruction of the 375 kilometers highway that stood at N797 billion has attracted tons of criticism from interest groups who considered the project the most expensive contract awarded by the federal government.
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But the Minister argued that the present administration of President Muhammad Buhari should be applauded for huge investment in multiple capital projects cutting across states of the federation.
The Minister of state also disclosed that the government has directed contractors to return to the site on the Kano-Shuwari-Damaturu-Maiduguri highways where three out of the five sections of the corridor had already been completed.
El-Yakub however attributed security challenges and road infractions as a result of unsettled matters of compensation to local communities as a major predicament slowing down construction work across the country. He assured the commitment of the government to overcome the challenges.
The Minister applauded the Kano Chamber of Commerce Industry Mines and Agriculture for their commitment and contribution to facilitating government policies on economic growth and development.
