Nigerian road upgrade projects being planned

Two major road upgrade projects are being planned in Nigeria. One project is for the upgrading of the A9 Kano to Katsina route, which will be widened so that it features two lanes in either direction. This is the second phase of the Kano to Katsina road upgrade work, which is important for Nigeria’s transport sector as Katsina lies close to the border with Niger and the route is an important one for traffic crossing the Sahara. The second project is for the upgrading of the Ibadan to Ilesha to Ife route, which is also benefiting from widening work. A budget of US$301.22 million has been approved by Nigeria’s Federal Executive Council (FEC) for the two projects, with $81.5 million being used for the Kano to Katsina road upgrade and $219.72 million for the Ibadan to Ilesha to Ife route. In addition, the FEC has set a budget of $551.17 million for the construction of new roads that will connect with the new Niger Bridge crossing spanning the River Niger between the cities of Onitsha and Asaba.