By Eshiorameh Sebastian
The Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, has stated that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has given him a direct mandate to identify and empower Nigerian-owned construction companies.
Mr Umahi made the announcement during an inspection of the Oyo-Ogbomoso dual carriageway, a project being handled by the indigenous firm JRB Construction Company Ltd.
He expressed strong satisfaction with the standard of work, holding up the company as an example of the local talent the government aims to support.
“But for JRB, an indigenous contractor, I am very shocked. I was here before and all those difficult things on this road, JRB has diminished them, and I declare him the best indigenous contractor in the Ministry of works,” the minister said. “I have no apology for that.”
The 52-kilometre road was originally awarded to a different company. JRB Construction took over to complete the remaining 36 kilometres and is working within an 18-month timeframe.
Praising the firm’s quality, Mr Umahi added, “Mind-blowing what JRB has done, and we will continue to encourage you. The drainage you have, it is only Hi-Tec that can compare with the quality of drainage you have. Honestly, I am very proud of what you are doing.”
He urged JRB and other local companies to aim for the standards of major firms like Hi-Tech, which is handling the large-scale Lagos-Calabar coastal highway project.
“I want JRB to upgrade. Everybody’s height should be on the performance of Hi-Tech to get to that level,” he said.
The minister then directly linked this support to the president’s instructions. “We will report your good work again to Mr. President for support. You are fulfilling one of the clear mandates the president gave us, ‘raise indigenous’ contractors,” Mr Umahi stated.
He contrasted the performance of JRB with some foreign contractors, whom he accused of not investing sufficiently in their Nigerian projects.
“If indigenous contractors can do this, then we have no reason to be giving expatriates 25 jobs and they are reading newspapers everyday telling you stories of what is happening in your village and they are not ready to put one kobo,” the minister said.
He emphasised that partnership with the government requires a willingness to share financial risk. “This man (JRB) has done more than the percentage we paid to him, so why wouldn’t we support him? So, for any contractor that will not put out their own money like Hi-Tec or JRB, that person is not a partner in the development of this country.”
Mr Umahi concluded, “You are not ready to put a kobo. You are making profit. Even when you are sure that we will pay you, you still wouldn’t want to take a small risk. If there is no relationship, then there is no risk. That is what they are telling us.”
Speaking at the site, the Technical Project Manager for JRB, Joseph Onche, assured that the project would be completed before its September 2026 deadline. He confirmed the company had mobilised to the site immediately after the contract was awarded and had already spent eight months on the work.
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