Former Governor Of Ebonyi State and current Minister of Works, David Umahi, has lamented the skyrocketing price of cement, stating that it has had a significant negative effect on ongoing infrastructure projects across the country.
The minister also appealed to cement manufacturers to reduce the price from N9,500 to N7,000, urging that such a decrease would facilitate the rehabilitation of Nigeria’s roads.
He emphasised that with the recent stabilisation of the foreign exchange rate, this price adjustment would be crucial in advancing necessary infrastructure repairs across the country.
He also directed the contractor handling the Enugu-Onitsha dual carriageway to complete the rehabilitation of the road on or before May 10, 2026.
Umahi said these in a meeting with the project contractor and financier handling the Enugu-Onitsha dual carriageway construction under the Infrastructure Development and Refurbishment Investment (Tax Credit) Scheme in Abuja, on Wednesday.
He called on the manufacturers of cement, which is a key element in the construction industry, especially on the use of Continuously Reinforced Concrete Pavement, to please reduce the cost of cement to N7,000 as the price of dollars has drastically reduced.
A statement by the minister’s spokesperson, Uchenna Orji, quoting the minister read, “The cost of petrol is coming down, and efforts are being made by Mr President to fix the road. I am happy that the policies of Mr President are working. Today, a dollar is about N1,400. And let me use the opportunity to express dissatisfaction with the cost of cement.
