By || Goodluck E.Adubazi || Abuja
The Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to delivering high-quality and timely road infrastructure in Katsina State, as ongoing and completed federal road projects continue to record steady progress.
The assurance was given on Friday during a national media tour of federal road projects in the state, organised under the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR.
Addressing journalists at various project sites, the Federal Controller of Works in Katsina State, Engr. Idris Matinja, said key projects—including the Ungwan Iliya Bagudu–Kwantakaran–Tsiga–Bakori Road with the Kadabo bridges in Kafur Local Government Area, and the dualisation of the Kano–Katsina Road (from the Katsina–Kano State border to the Katsina Steel Rolling Mill Roundabout)—are progressing in line with approved specifications.
Engr. Matinja explained that the 17-kilometre Ungwan Iliya–Bakori Road project, awarded in February 2025, features three bridges and has already surpassed 11 per cent completion. He noted that significant work has been achieved on stone base layers and over four kilometres of lined drains.
“Our quality assurance assessments confirm that the work conforms strictly with the standards and specifications of the Federal Ministry of Works,” he said.
The Project Manager, Engr. David Omotosho, representing the contractor, Messrs. Halis Matrix Limited, disclosed that although the project initially faced security challenges along some sections, the contractor has now fully mobilised to site with the required equipment and manpower.
According to him, the project has reached about 15.5 per cent completion, with base course works completed on more than four kilometres.
He added that the contractor is targeting between 40 and 45 per cent completion within the next few months.
Professional bodies that participated in the inspection, including the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN), Katsina Branch, led by Engr. Adamu Dahiru, and the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), represented by Engr. Abbas Sada, commended the quality of work.
They confirmed that the projects meet required engineering standards and are being executed with strict adherence to professional ethics and safety considerations for host communities.
Also speaking, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Community Engagement, Hon. Abdullahi Tanko Yakasai, expressed satisfaction with the level of equipment mobilisation and quality of work on all sites visited. He urged contractors to sustain the current momentum to ensure timely project delivery.
In a related development, three completed emergency repairs on failed and critical sections along the Mararraba–Tashan Boka–Gidan Daudu axis of the Katsina–Mararrabar Kankara Road were commissioned.
The repairs form part of the 260 emergency road projects initiated by the present administration over a year ago.
Other special intervention projects commissioned include emergency repairs of critical washouts at KM 1+775 and KM 2+736 along the Katsina–Dutsinma–Kankara Road, as well as the reinstatement of washouts and repairs of damaged sections along the Katsina–Daura Road.
Hon. Yakasai noted that the interventions demonstrate President Tinubu’s resolve to address infrastructure damage caused by natural disasters and to improve the welfare of communities. He added that most of the projects were initiated and completed within three months.
Speaking on behalf of benefiting communities, Yahaya Usman Maikaulasa and Kabiru Tajuddeen expressed appreciation to the Federal Government, noting that the roads were previously plagued by accidents and frequent vehicle breakdowns.
“Since the repairs carried out by the present administration, we no longer experience those challenges,” they said.
