The Federal Ministry of Works has ordered Julius Berger Plc to vacate the site of the Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano road project, specifically the Abuja-Kaduna section, following a 14-day termination notice issued on Monday.
The ministry cited non-compliance with the revised project scope, stoppage of work, and refusal to return to the site as reasons for the decision.
According to Mohammed Ahmed, the Director of Press and Public Relations at the ministry, ongoing negotiations with the company had stalled without reaching an agreement. The ministry highlighted that efforts to revise the contract’s scope and terms had been unsuccessful, despite months of discussions aimed at moving the project forward.
The Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano Dual Carriageway contract, awarded in 2017, was initially valued at N155.75 billion, with the works divided into three sections. While the Kaduna-Zaria and Zaria-Kano segments have been substantially completed, the Abuja-Kaduna section saw only 27% completion over six years. The government had even assigned a 38 km portion of the project to Dangote Industries for concrete paving, while the remaining section remained under Julius Berger.
The ministry’s request to revise and reduce the project’s cost to N740.79 billion was approved by the Federal Executive Council in September. However, Julius Berger reportedly did not agree to the new terms. The Ministry of Works stated that this decision aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda to alleviate road challenges faced by Nigerians.
This termination adds to the list of revoked contracts by Works Minister David Umahi, who has overseen the cancellation of 11 contracts in the past 16 months.
