The Federal Government has set 2031 as its target for completing the Trans-Sahara Superhighway, with the project expected to improve connectivity, security, agriculture and commerce along its route.
Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, disclosed this on Saturday, August 29, 2026, during an inspection of ongoing construction on Section Two of the highway in Ado Local Government Area of Benue State.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that Umahi said the project would improve access between communities and make it easier to move agricultural produce and other goods across the corridor.
According to NAN, Section One of the highway covers about 123 kilometres from Ebonyi State to the Ebonyi-Benue boundary, while Section Two spans about 173.4 kilometres through Benue and adjoining states.
NAN reported that Section One had reached about 45 per cent completion, with more than 2,000 workers engaged on the project.
Umahi said the section includes major structures such as flyovers at Onueke and Ukwuachi Junctions, as well as bridges and other road infrastructure.
He also said the Federal Government was developing bypasses along the corridor, including the 8.9-kilometre Afikpo bypass in Ebonyi State, which is being dualised.
Speaking during the inspection, Umahi said the highway would make it easier to move agricultural produce from farming communities in Benue, Ebonyi and Enugu to markets.
“When communities are brought closer through road construction and states become more accessible, you can see the economic impact. If we complete this project, you will see significant improvements in security, agriculture, and commerce,” NAN quoted the minister as saying.
According to the minister, improved road access would also support security operations by making communities easier to reach.
NAN reported that security features, including closed-circuit television cameras and solar-powered lighting, are expected to be incorporated into the project.
The minister acknowledged that funding remains a challenge because the Federal Government cannot finance all ongoing projects at the same time.
“There are challenges; we cannot have all the money to do all the projects at once. So, we will continue to do the much we can based on our available resources,” NAN quoted him as saying.
The minister said the projects were expected to be completed by 2031, subject to continuity in implementation and President Bola Tinubu securing a second term.
He also appealed to host communities to cooperate with contractors by providing access to borrow pits and facilitating the assessment of crops and properties affected by construction.
He assured affected property owners that compensation would be paid where applicable, according to NAN.
The minister further commended contractors working on the project for continuing construction during the rainy season and urged Nigerians to support federal road interventions in communities that previously lacked access to federal roads.
The Trans-Sahara Superhighway is among the Federal Government’s major legacy road projects, alongside the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, Abuja-Kano Road and Akwanga-Jos-Bauchi-Gombe Road.
