Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, has pushed back against allegations that he is using his position to favour the South-East in the distribution of federal road projects, arguing that major infrastructure decisions are subject to presidential approval and publicly documented.
Umahi made the clarification while inspecting the Trans-Sahara Highway project, amid criticism on social media that an unusually large share of federal road interventions was being directed to the South-East. He said the accusation ignored the broader spread of projects under the Ministry of Works.
“They want to gag me on social media when they say I cornered all the road projects to the South-East,” Umahi said, challenging his critics to examine the ministry’s published list of ongoing projects.
The minister added: “I am not acting on my own; the President is my boss. Where would he be while I supposedly corner all the projects to the South-East?”
His defence came during an inspection of the multi-state Trans-Sahara Highway, a corridor that begins from Afikpo in Ebonyi State, passes through Benue and Enugu, extends into Kogi and links to the Federal Capital Territory through the Owete Bridge. Umahi directed the contractor to execute three sections simultaneously to accelerate delivery.
Rather than deny the need for increased infrastructure investment in the South-East, Umahi argued that the region was finally receiving attention he considered appropriate, saying it should not necessarily be first in national infrastructure allocation but should also not be left at the bottom.
“I have always maintained that in terms of infrastructure development, the South-East may not rank first, second, or third, but they will definitely not be the last,” he said.
The minister’s explanation also placed the controversy against a wider national infrastructure programme. In June, the Presidency said the Trans-Sahara Superhighway was designed to connect Cross River, Ebonyi, Benue, Nasarawa and the FCT, underscoring its inter-state character rather than a single-zone focus.
Umahi further defended the Federal Government’s decision to borrow for major infrastructure, arguing that debt could be justified where it finances projects capable of generating long-term economic value.
He cited the 199-kilometre Ebonyi State Ring Road, which he said was financed with a $150 million facility during his tenure as governor, as an example of borrowing deployed toward a specific infrastructure objective.
“We borrowed because we knew precisely how to deploy the funds productively,” he said, arguing that postponing necessary infrastructure could ultimately make projects more expensive.
The minister also disclosed that the financing structure for the administration’s four legacy projects combines domestic and foreign funding, with 30 per cent coming directly from Federal Government naira funding and 70 per cent through foreign financing arrangements.
Umahi also rejected claims that new federal road corridors were being prioritised at the expense of existing highways, saying some of the routes being described as new projects were actually existing roads undergoing expansion and rehabilitation.
The minister’s remarks come as the Federal Government faces continuing scrutiny over the geographical distribution, financing and pace of its major road projects, with the Ministry of Works insisting that nationwide infrastructure needs, rather than regional preference, determine project implementation. The ministry has also recently received a nationwide road assessment from the National Association of Nigerian Students covering projects in the North-West.
