By Milcah Tanimu
The Federal Government has terminated Julius Berger’s contract for the Abuja-Kaduna road rehabilitation. This decision comes due to the company’s non-compliance with project terms.
On November 4, 2024, Mohammed Ahmed, director of press at the Ministry of Works, announced the termination. He cited work stoppages and refusal to remobilize as key reasons.
The Abuja-Kaduna road is part of the larger Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano dual carriageway project. Ahmed explained that negotiations with Julius Berger had stalled for months.
“It is unfortunate that instead of accepting the offer, they altered the Bills of Quantities and Engineering Measurements in a letter to the Ministry dated October 29, 2024,” Ahmed said.
He added that Julius Berger was summoned for a meeting on November 4 but failed to attend. This absence led to the contract’s termination.
The Ministry issued a 14-day Notice of Termination for Contract No. 6350, Section I (Abuja-Kaduna). This action was taken due to “effluxion of time and non-performance.”
The contract, awarded on December 20, 2017, was initially valued at N155.7 billion. Over the years, the project has faced many variations and adjustments.
Recently, the Federal Executive Council (FEC) approved a reduction in the contract’s value from N797.2 billion to N740.7 billion on September 23, 2024. However, Julius Berger did not accept the new terms.
The Ministry emphasized the road’s importance as a key connection between Abuja and northern Nigeria. This necessity prompted the re-scoping efforts to complete the project and ease the burden on road users.
