FG Removes China Harbour From Abuja-bound Keffi Road Section

The federal government has withdrawn the Abuja-bound carriageway of the Mararaba–Keffi road reconstruction project from China Harbour Engineering Company Limited over what it described as poor performance and repeated disregard for directives.
Minister of works, David Umahi, announced the decision during an inspection of the project on Saturday, expressing deep dissatisfaction with the contractor’s handling of the project.
“I am disappointed with the Abuja-bound carriageway. The project was not taken away from China Harbour, but the company’s attitude has been uncooperative,” Umahi said.
He explained that the firm repeatedly failed to maintain the other carriageway despite multiple interventions and warnings, adding that the 43.65-kilometre dual carriageway will now be assigned to local contractors who will complete both the inner and outer shoulders using concrete.
“From tomorrow, local contractors will be mobilised to handle the inner and outer shoulders using concrete,” he stated.
Umahi said it was unacceptable that payment certificates had been issued for substandard work, warning that any contractor acting with impunity would face consequences. He stressed that the safety of road users takes precedence over profit and directed controllers and directors to escalate project issues within twenty-four hours or face recall.
He urged state governments to monitor contractors closely and report deficiencies promptly to ensure quality delivery and timely completion.
The minister, while defending the project cost, said variations in construction methods, materials, and contingencies mean costs per kilometre cannot be generalised.
Umahi, who inspected the site alongside Nasarawa State governor, Abdullahi Sule, said the project had been extended from 43 kilometres to 45 kilometres to fully utilise the N73 billion budgeted by the previous administration.
He added that cost differences depend on whether concrete, asphalt, or surface dressing is used, with variations of price (VOP) and contingency provisions factored into the total.
As of May 2025, the federal government reported that forty-two percent of work had been completed on the Mararaba–Keffi section of the Abuja-Keffi-Akwanga-Lafia-Makurdi Dual Carriageway project, with full completion targeted for June 2026.
The Mararaba–Keffi road forms a strategic part of the larger 87.3-kilometre Abuja-Lafia-Makurdi-Enugu-Port Harcourt route designed to enhance regional connectivity, reduce travel time, and spur economic activity across the Federal Capital Territory, Nasarawa, Benue, Enugu, Abia, Imo, and Rivers States.