Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, has urged stakeholders in the South-East to reassess claims of marginalisation by examining the region’s infrastructure development and political appointments under the administration of President Bola Tinubu.
Umahi made the submission in Abuja on Tuesday while receiving the report of the North-West leg of the Nationwide Federal Roads Project Tour conducted by the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS).
According to the minister, discussions about whether the South-East is being adequately included in the affairs of the Federal Government should not focus solely on political appointments but should also take into account ongoing infrastructure projects across the region.
He maintained that the Tinubu administration had made interventions in areas where the South-East had previously raised concerns over development and inclusion.
“It is a strategic decision that we Igbos must make,” Umahi said, while urging South-East leaders to be more vocal in explaining the administration’s projects and policies to the people.
The former Ebonyi State governor also called on the people of the region to compare the infrastructure delivered under successive administrations with projects currently being undertaken by the Tinubu government.
He specifically linked his position to President Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid, urging South-East stakeholders to support the President and arguing that political support from the region could encourage reciprocal support from other parts of the country when the South-East seeks to produce the president.
Umahi also commended NANS for independently inspecting federal road projects across the six geopolitical zones. He said the students rejected logistics assistance from the Ministry of Works and insisted on having unhindered access to project sites.
The minister said the initiative would help students and civil society groups independently assess the progress of government projects.
On federal road development, Umahi disclosed that the scope of the government’s legacy road projects had increased from about 700 kilometres to approximately 1,150 kilometres following a directive by President Tinubu.
Among the projects he highlighted were the Sokoto-Badagry corridor, the Akwanga-Jos road, Gombe-Bauchi road, Bauchi-Jos road, Ogoja-Calabar connection and Biu-Maiduguri corridor.
He said the Federal Government was funding 30 per cent of the legacy projects, while the remaining 70 per cent was being financed through foreign loans expected to be repaid through tolling of the completed corridors.
Umahi also defended the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, saying the project would traverse Ondo, Edo, Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Cross River states.
He described the highway and other federal road projects as important infrastructure interventions with implications for connectivity, transportation and economic activity across the affected regions.
The minister’s comments come as political discussions intensify ahead of the 2027 general elections, with competing political actors seeking to secure support across the South-East.
