The Minister of State for Works, Bello Goronyo, has expressed dissatisfaction with the slow pace of work on the Zaria–Sheme Road project following an inspection of the construction from Sheme in Katsina State on Sunday.
The project is part of the ongoing dualisation of the Zaria–Funtua–Sokoto road corridor, which cuts across Kaduna, Katsina, Zamfara and Sokoto states and is being executed by multiple contractors.
Goronyo explained that Mothercat Nigeria Limited is handling phases one and two from Sheme to Zaria, while CBC is responsible for about 105 kilometres to Talatan Mafara in Zamfara. Triacta is working on the Talatan Mafara–Gusau section, while Setraco handles the stretch from Gusau to Sheme.
While inspecting the Zaria–Sheme axis, the minister commended Mothercat for delivering durable and high-quality work but described the pace of execution as unacceptable despite the complexity of the corridor. He noted that project completion had increased from seven per cent during his last visit in 2025 to 17 per cent, adding that the progress fell short of government expectations.
Goronyo said the inspection was carried out on the directive of President Bola Tinubu through the Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, with senior ministry officials assessing projects along the corridor. He warned that although contractors face challenges, excuses would not be tolerated, directing Mothercat to speed up work to meet agreed timelines.
According to him, the contractor has promised to complete 21 kilometres on both lanes by March and about 98 kilometres within the next 11 to 12 months, assurances he said would be strictly enforced by the ministry. He added that controllers would remain on site and submit regular reports to ensure compliance.
During his inspection of the Triacta section, Goronyo said the firm had been restricted to about 37 kilometres along the Maru axis in Zamfara, while the remaining sections would be reassigned to another contractor to ensure quality and timely delivery.
The minister reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to infrastructure development and urged contractors to maintain damaged sections of the road to ease movement for motorists while construction continues.
Earlier, the Project Manager of Mothercat Nigeria Limited, Ziad Karam, said challenges facing the project included rising costs of construction materials, depreciation of the naira, pending approval for rescoping of Phase One, outstanding compensation issues and right-of-way challenges at kilometre nine.