WorldStage— The Federal Ministry of Works has clarified that the Benin-Onitsha corridor is not terminated but being managed under the Highway Development and Management Initiative (HDMI) as a Value-Added Concession.
The clarification is coming after allegation that Minister of Works, David Umahi, has unilaterally terminated the contract.
According to the ministry, the Federal Government is legally bound by a 25-year concession agreement on the 125-kilometre Benin–Asaba section, meaning that Umahi, couldn’t have unilaterally terminated the contract without triggering severe legal and financial liabilities for Nigeria.
It said the project is handled by the Benin-Asaba Expressway Concession Company (BAECC), a subsidiary of Africa Plus Partners.
Arbitrary termination could expose the Federal Government to litigation and humongous financial claims, the ministry pointed out.
The ministry further stated that concessioning does not mean abandonment; the ministry has actively been engaging the concessionaire to force compliance and accelerate the pace of work.
The Tinubu administration inherited a total of 2,064 road and bridge projects in various states of delay, underfunding, or stagnation.
The ministry emphasized that the structural issues on the Benin–Onitsha corridor long predate the current government.
A systemic review of all inherited highway concession agreements was initiated to enforce transparency, accountability, and proper value for money.
Minister Umahi also dismissed allegations of infrastructure neglect in the South-East, pointing to several active and advancing road projects, among which, according to him, are
Enugu–Onitsha Expressway – an initial 15-kilometre concrete-paved section was reconstructed and successfully reopened; Onitsha–Owerri Expressway – ongoing upgrades to secure smoother transit across the commercial corridor; Enugu–Port Harcourt Expressway – active construction and deployment of rigid pavement designs; Calabar–Ebonyi–Benue Trans-Sahara Superhighway – advancing regional link infrastructure.
Other active zones, according to the Minister, are additional interventions including the Aba–Owerri Road, the Afikpo–Okigwe Road dualisation, and access routes flanking the Second Niger Bridge.
Minister of Works Engr. David Umahi stated that the 125-kilometre Benin-Asaba section of the Benin-Onitsha Road is under a binding 25-year concession.
He noted that the government cannot arbitrarily cancel the agreement without legal and financial risks, but is actively engaging the concessionaire to speed up work.
Part of the Highway Development and Management Initiative (HDMI) operates as a Value-Added Concession model which binds the government to due process and contracts and prevents arbitrary termination to avoid major litigation.
