KEY POINTS

• Government may take over 108 km of the project.
• Ibadan-Ilesha expressway rehabilitation faces stricter execution terms.
• FG will fund approved asphalt palliative works.

Nigeria’s Federal Government has warned it may assume control of more than half of the Ibadan–Ilesha expressway rehabilitation and expansion contract if the contractor fails to comply with new directives on urgent remedial works.

Works Minister Dave Umahi issued the warning on Wednesday during an inspection of the project, signaling a tougher stance on execution timelines even as he acknowledged progress on the corridor. The road spans about 216 kilometers and serves as a major transport link between the South-West and parts of the South-East.

Ibadan-Ilesha expressway rehabilitation warning

Umahi said the government would reduce the contract scope if immediate palliative repairs on failed sections did not begin without delay, stressing that capacity limits must match the size of the assignment.

“If they don’t do what I am about to issue, then I will take over 108 kilometers of the road; that is one full carriageway,” Umahi said. He directed the contractor to deploy five concrete work gangs simultaneously, with one team covering both sides from chainage zero to chainage 25, equivalent to 50 kilometers.

The remaining four gangs, he added, must focus on failed sections requiring urgent palliative intervention to restore motorability. The minister said the objective was to ensure road users experience immediate relief while full reconstruction continues.

Ibadan-Ilesha expressway rehabilitation funding terms

Umahi also drew a clear line on cost responsibility, warning that the government would not pay for what he described as unnecessary earthworks. He said the contractor was undertaking preparatory work that did not align with the approved construction sequence.

“There is no need for this entire earthwork they are doing,” he said, explaining that concrete laying should precede any extensive earthwork. Existing inner and outer shoulders, he noted, should remain intact rather than removed and replaced later.

Despite the warnings, Umahi praised the contractor for progress on flood-prone sections of the highway. He said the government would fund asphalt-based palliative works using counterpart funds, underscoring the administration’s priority to ease commuter hardship on the route. “I want people to feel relieved on this road,” the minister said.