The Federal Government has commenced preparatory work to remove a 60-metre-high mountain obstructing a critical section of the Afikpo-Uturu-Okigwe Federal Highway linking Ebonyi, Abia and Imo states.
The Minister of Works, David Umahi, disclosed this on Saturday, August 15, 2026, during an inspection of the ongoing project at Okigwe in Imo State.
Umahi described the mountainous section as one of the most challenging portions of the project, citing the height of the mountain and its history of posing safety risks to motorists.
“This place is very challenging.”
“We have a mountain that is over 60 metres high,” Umahi said during the inspection.
He said the Federal Government had resolved to remove the natural obstruction in order to improve safety and create a more efficient route for road users across the South-East.
“This mountain, by the command of President Ahmed Tinubu, must collapse for the people of the South East,” he said.
According to the minister, the mountainous section has contributed to several fatal accidents over the years, making its removal a major safety intervention along the corridor.
Umahi said the successful removal of the mountain would save lives and improve transportation for residents and other road users who depend on the highway.
“If God helps us in the administration of President
Ahmed Tinubu to achieve this, this will be a major saving of lives for the people of the South-East.”
“This place has consumed many lives,” he said.
The Afikpo-Uturu-Okigwe project is being executed under the Federal Government’s tax-credit scheme, with Dangote Industries Limited as the sponsoring company and Hi-Tech Construction as the contractor.
The latest technical breakdown provided by the Project Controller, Maxwell Oko, puts the project at 65.45 kilometres, comprising 9.9 kilometres of dual carriageway and 55.55 kilometres of single carriageway.
More than 20 kilometres of the road have already been completed, according to the Federal Ministry of Information.
The road forms part of the Federal Government’s effort to strengthen transportation links between communities and major federal highways across Ebonyi, Abia and Imo states.
The corridor is expected to improve the movement of people and goods while supporting commercial activities and strengthening economic links across the three states.
At the mountainous section, the contractor has commenced preparatory operations ahead of more extensive excavation and earthworks.
The Managing Director of Hi-Tech Construction, Christopher Aucamp, said the contractor was already working on the mountain and would deploy additional heavy equipment to accelerate the operation.
“This is the mountain where we have to do the realisation of the nine kilometres.”
“As you can see, we are busy with it,” Aucamp said.
He disclosed that three excavators would be deployed to intensify the excavation and reshaping of the mountainous terrain.
The intervention is expected to straighten the affected section of the road and make movement safer while construction progresses.
The contractor is also constructing a second bypass around the difficult section to provide safer movement for road users while work continues.
Umahi also commended the contractor for the quality of work being delivered on the project, particularly the use of concrete pavement technology.
The Federal Government has increasingly promoted concrete pavement on major road projects, with the Works Ministry arguing that the technology supports durability and allows construction to continue during periods of rainfall.
The Afikpo-Uturu-Okigwe corridor has undergone several adjustments in scope and description during the development of the project, which explains why earlier reports have cited different kilometre figures.
The latest official technical breakdown, however, places the current project scope at 65.45 kilometres.
The project is valued at about N193 billion under the tax-credit arrangement involving Dangote Industries Limited.
The road is strategically important to the South-East because it connects communities and markets across three states and provides links to adjoining federal highways.
The Federal Government says improved connectivity along the corridor will facilitate the movement of agricultural produce, manufactured goods and other commodities while opening up communities along the route.
For residents and businesses that depend on the highway, completion of the project is expected to improve accessibility and reduce some of the transportation difficulties associated with the existing route.
The mountain removal therefore represents more than an engineering operation, as the Federal Government is presenting it as a safety and connectivity intervention on a strategic regional highway.
With excavation preparations already underway and three excavators expected at the site, attention is now shifting to how quickly the contractor can overcome the mountainous terrain and advance construction on the affected section.
The Federal Government’s latest intervention has consequently placed the 60-metre mountain at the centre of efforts to complete the Afikpo-Uturu-Okigwe road and deliver a safer transport corridor for motorists across the South-East.
