By Atoyebi Nike
The Federal Government has criticized road contractors for mixing removed asphalt with laterite during construction, a practice it says is responsible for recurring highway failures nationwide.
Minister of Works, David Umahi, disclosed this during an inspection of the Abuja-Kaduna-Kano highway on Tuesday, describing the method as “technically unsound” and responsible for premature cracks and potholes.
“When Julius Berger was doing the job, they removed the asphalt and said they wanted to grind it with laterite. It is not a good construction method,” Umahi said, noting that such blending weakens the road’s sub-base because new laterite lacks the compaction strength of the old layer.
He explained that the Tinubu administration is now enforcing new engineering standards and stronger materials to ensure federal roads last up to 50 years without major repairs.
Umahi added that Section One of the Abuja-Kaduna-Kano road, stretching from Kogi to Katari, would be completed ahead of schedule by February 2026, with N120 billion already released for the N252 billion project.
Minister of State for Works, Bello Goronyo, revealed that 285 construction equipment have been deployed along the corridor to ensure timely completion.
Meanwhile, the European Union (EU) Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, in collaboration with the Presidential Initiative for Unlocking the Healthcare Value Chain (PVAC) and the National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development (NIPRD), will host the Nigeria–EU Health Investment Forum on October 30, 2025, in Abuja.
Themed “Made in Nigeria. Made for Health,” the event will promote local health manufacturing, innovation, and partnerships aimed at boosting Nigeria’s healthcare sovereignty.
EU Ambassador Gautier Mignot said the forum would drive new investments aligned with Nigeria’s health reform agenda, while NIPRD Director-General Dr. Obi Adigwe and PVAC Coordinator Dr. Abdu Mukhtar described it as a turning point for industrialising the health sector and attracting large-scale private investment.
