The Federal Government has set a new deadline of September 2025 for Julius Berger to complete the N280 billion Bodo-Bonny Road project currently under construction in Rivers State.
This announcement follows President Bola Tinubu’s approval of an upward revision of the contract sum, aimed at accelerating the road’s completion.
During an inspection of ongoing federal road projects in Rivers State on Monday, Minister of Works David Umahi revealed that negotiations with Julius Berger had led to the approval of the full contract amount. He emphasized the importance of adhering to project specifications.
“We have granted Julius Berger the amount they requested after extensive negotiations lasting a year,” Umahi stated. “The President and the Federal Executive Council approved this request, and the project is now set to a fixed contract sum of N280 billion. Julius Berger must mobilize resources at three locations to ensure timely completion.”
Umahi committed to returning for two additional inspections before the end of 2024 to monitor progress and ensure compliance with the agreement. He outlined, “We are setting a deadline of September 2025 for project completion. I expect effective work across multiple sites as per our agreement. I’ll return in October and again in November to assess progress.”
The minister also noted President Tinubu’s strong interest in the timely completion of the road and mentioned a meeting involving the National Security Adviser and the CEO of NNPCL to facilitate the project.
Umahi praised the contractors for their work thus far and assured the people of Rivers that the completed road would have a lifespan of 50 to 100 years without the need for maintenance or reconstruction.