Abuja-Kano Highway to Be Completed by November 2026, Umahi Says
The Federal Government has announced that the remaining 164 kilometres of the Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano highway are expected to be completed by November 2026 as part of ongoing efforts to improve road infrastructure and connectivity across Nigeria.
Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, disclosed this in Abuja when the leadership of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), led by its President, Babatunde Akinteye, paid him a courtesy visit.
Umahi said the President Bola Tinubu administration remains committed to completing major infrastructure projects, describing the Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano highway as one of the government’s strategic road projects.
According to the minister, the entire Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano corridor covers about 375 kilometres in each direction, amounting to approximately 750 kilometres of carriageway.
He explained that work is currently focused on the remaining 164 kilometres, representing about 82 kilometres in each direction.
Umahi disclosed that the Federal Government has already spent more than N200 billion on the project, adding that more than 80 per cent of the financial commitment for the current phase and related components has been paid.
The minister expressed confidence that the remaining stretch would be completed by November, potentially improving movement between Abuja and several major commercial centres in northern Nigeria.
Umahi also raised concerns over vandalism of road infrastructure, revealing that some individuals had been damaging sections of newly constructed roads to remove reinforcement materials.
To protect the infrastructure and improve security along the corridor, he said the government plans to establish a highway guard arrangement similar to the initiative introduced on the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway.
Solar-powered streetlights are also expected to be installed at intervals along the Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano highway to improve visibility and safety for motorists.
The Works Minister said the Federal Government was simultaneously executing other major road projects across the country, with concrete pavement being adopted on some strategic routes to improve durability.
He explained that the scope of some projects had also been expanded to strengthen connectivity between communities and facilitate the movement of people, agricultural produce and other goods.
Umahi called on Nigerian youths and students to participate in monitoring government projects and demand accountability from public officials while avoiding intimidation or interference with contractors.
He said the Ministry of Works was prepared to collaborate with NANS and other youth organisations on transparent project monitoring.
Akinteye, meanwhile, commended ongoing infrastructure projects under the Ministry of Works, stressing that good roads are particularly important to students who frequently travel across the country for examinations, academic programmes, conferences and other activities.
He noted that improved road infrastructure could reduce transportation costs, facilitate economic activities and improve access to educational institutions.
The NANS leadership subsequently honoured Umahi as a patron of the association and expressed its readiness to work with the ministry on infrastructure monitoring and national development.
