Presidency Pledges Security Backup For Abuja–Lokoja Road Contractors

The Presidency has assured contractors handling road projects along the Abuja–Lokoja–Benin corridor of adequate military protection to fast-track the completion of the road projects.

The Senior Special Assistant to President Bola Tinubu on Community Engagement (North Central), Dr Abiodun Essiet, gave the assurance during an inspection of ongoing works on the Abuja–Lokoja corridor, following complaints by contractors over security challenges.

She disclosed that ahead of the inspection, the inspection team met with the Commander of the 12 Brigade of the Nigerian Army, Lokoja, Brigadier- General Kasim Umar Sidi, who pledged to provide continuous security cover for contractors working on Federal Road 247, which includes the Abuja–Lokoja axis.

“So, the contractors no longer have any excuse for insecurity. You can work at night because the military has assured us of 24/7 security. We want this project completed on time,” Essiet said.

She reassured contractors and their workers of full military protection across Kogi State to enable uninterrupted day and night operations.

According to Essiet, the inspection visit was aimed at assessing the quality of work, identifying challenges, and documenting feedback for onward transmission to the Presidency and the Federal Ministry of Works.

She, however, expressed dissatisfaction with the pace of work by contractors, scoring them low on performance.

Essiet described the delays as unacceptable given the strategic importance of the road linking the North and South.

“I am not impressed with the pace of work. These roads are critical because of their importance to the country. Contractors must show capacity and take this project seriously,” she said.

Speaking on Section II of the Abuja–Lokoja highway (Abaji–Koton Karfe), Essiet urged the contractor to deploy more equipment and personnel to the site.

THE WHISLER recalls that the 50.797km section was awarded in February 2022 at ₦56.17bn to Messrs Geld Limited/Triacta Nigeria Limited, with Messrs Factorial Engineering Limited as consultant.

She noted that despite assurances, the project had only moved from 16.71 per cent to 17.09 per cent completion since inception, describing the progress as discouraging.

On the Lokoja–Benin road bridge project, Essiet challenged the contractor to inject more funds and accelerate work, and assured that funding would not be an issue.

“The contractor should mop up funds from all sources and complete the project in time. The federal government will not owe you. You will be paid from the Renewed Hope Initiative fund,” she said.

Essiet reiterated President Tinubu’s personal interest in the project and stressed that delays would no longer be tolerated.

Responding, the Controller of Works, Kogi State, Engr. Musa Paiko attributed the slow pace of work to insecurity and heavy rainfall experienced in 2025.

He, however, assured that there would be significant progress on the projects before the end of the first quarter of 2026.