NASS committee directs Julius Berger to expedite Bodo-Bonny road project completion
The National Assembly Joint Committee on Works has directed construction giant, Julius Berger Nigeria Plc, to accelerate completion of the Bodo-Bonny Road project in Rivers State, emphasizing the project’s critical role in improving accessibility and boosting economic activities in the Niger Delta.
Chairman of the Senate Committee on Works, Senator Barinada Mpigi, issued the directive during an inspection visit to the 39-kilometre road project on Thursday. The visit forms part of the committee’s nationwide oversight of federal infrastructure projects.
The Bodo-Bonny Road, initiated in 2017 as a joint venture between the Federal Government and the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG), is set to connect Bonny Island an oil-rich area previously reachable only by sea to mainland Rivers State.
Senator Mpigi, alongside other lawmakers including Deputy Senate Chief Whip, Senator Onyekachi Nwaebonyi, and Senator Victor Umeh, expressed concern over delays and urged the contractor to remain committed to delivering the project by the December 2025 deadline.
Responding, Julius Berger’s Project Manager, Tim Nippert, and Managing Director, Dr. Peer Lubach, assured the lawmakers that over 75 percent of the work has been completed.
While speaking to journalists after the inspection, Senator Mpigi emphasized the legislature’s oversight role. “The Senate and the House of Representatives are the people that appropriate the necessary funds. We want to see what the taxpayers’ money is being used for in our country,” he stated.
Commending Julius Berger’s efforts so far, Mpigi nonetheless urged the firm not to relent. “We want you (Julius Berger) to use this Bodo-Bonny Road as a sample of how well you can handle road projects,” he said.
He also appealed to the Federal Ministry of Works to re-award the remaining nine-kilometre stretch linking Bodo to the East-West Road to improve regional access.
The visit marked the beginning of a two-day working tour across federal road projects in the Niger Delta. The committee pledged continued engagement with stakeholders to ensure no federal road project in the region is abandoned.
