- The Federal Government has officially resumed the rehabilitation of the 105.6km Maiduguri-Monguno road corridor after an eight-year hiatus caused by insecurity.
- The project’s contract sum was reviewed and upwardly adjusted from N21.7 billion to N28.37 billion to accommodate new engineering designs and current economic realities.
- Security agencies, including the Office of the National Security Adviser and the Nigerian Military, have pledged adequate protection for contractors following years of insurgent attacks.
The Federal Government has broken an eight-year deadlock with the resumption of rehabilitation works on the strategic Maiduguri-Monguno road corridor in Borno State.
Eko Hot Blog reports that the Federal Controller of Works in Borno, Engr. Salihu Adamu, confirmed the development during a media tour of the project site on Tuesday.
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The project, which has been stalled since 2018 due to persistent security threats in the Northeast, is now back on track with a revised financial commitment.
Initially awarded to QUMECS Nigeria Limited on July 3, 2018, at a cost of N21.7 billion, the 105.6-kilometre road was originally scheduled for completion in March 2021.
However, the project faced significant setbacks as contractors were forced to demobilize frequently due to pockets of attacks along the highway.
Following a technical review, the Ministry of Works upgraded the project from a flexible pavement with surface-dressed shoulders to asphaltic concrete shoulders, pushing the total contract sum to N28.37 billion.
Engr. Adamu explained that the project is now being funded through a mix of the 2025 Appropriation and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) Tax Credit Scheme.
Despite the renewed momentum, logistical hurdles remain high.
Contractors are currently forced to haul stone-base materials from Bauchi State—a distance of 450 kilometres—and laterite from the Yobe State border, roughly 150 kilometres away, due to security restrictions and the ban on rock blasting within Borno State.
The resumption of the Maiduguri-Monguno road is seen as a critical victory for regional economic stability, as the route serves as a primary artery for farmers and traders moving agricultural commodities to urban markets.
Concurrent with this project, the Ministry also inaugurated the limited rehabilitation of the Kaga-Gubio road, which Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Borno State Council, Haruna Abdulkareem, described as a “strategic gateway” for the people of Borno and Yobe states.
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