How Nigeria’s Works Minister, David Umahi, is revolutionizing roads

By Stanley Ihedigbo

When Senator David Umahi speaks about roads, he doesn’t just talk asphalt—he talks innovation, durability, and legacy.

As Nigeria’s current Minister of Works, Umahi is not merely fixing potholes; he’s rewriting the playbook on how road infrastructure should be built, maintained, and envisioned in Africa’s most populous nation.

Born on July 25, 1963, in the serene town of Uburu, Ebonyi State, Umahi’s journey has been one of grit, vision, and relentless ambition.

His early days at Government Secondary School, Afikpo, and later at Anambra State University of Science and Technology (now ESUT), where he earned a degree in Civil Engineering, laid the technical foundation for what would become a life devoted to building—both in concrete and in governance.

Long before stepping into the political limelight, Umahi cut his teeth in the private sector. In 1990, he co-founded Norman Engineering and Construction Nig. Ltd., rising from General Manager to a force in Nigeria’s construction scene. He later chaired several companies, including Brass Engineering and the luxury Osborn La Palm Royal Resort, showing an uncanny ability to marry engineering with enterprise.

But it was politics that gave him the platform to scale his impact. Umahi’s political ascent began in 2007 as acting chairman of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP), in Ebonyi State.

He soon became Deputy Governor in 2011 and, in 2015, the Governor. Over the next eight years, he turned Ebonyi into a model of transformation, earning national attention for his bold infrastructure drive—an initiative that saw countless roads, flyovers, hospitals, and markets spring up across the state.

Education wasn’t left behind either. Umahi’s administration invested heavily in schools, while economic reforms boosted internally generated revenue and revamped agriculture and solid mineral development.

Fast forward to August 2023, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu appoints Umahi as the Minister of Works. It didn’t take long for Umahi to hit the ground running—literally. From pothole-ridden highways to neglected federal roads, Umahi embarked on nationwide inspections, often catching contractors off guard with his impromptu visits.

But perhaps his boldest move yet is his push for concrete technology in road construction. Where others see short-term fixes, Umahi sees long-term solutions. Concrete roads, he argues, are more durable, cost-effective in the long run, and better suited for Nigeria’s heavy traffic and challenging climate.

His ministry has already paid off N4 trillion of the N14 trillion debt owed to contractors—an aggressive signal that the days of abandoned projects and bureaucratic bottlenecks may be numbered.

More than anything, Umahi’s leadership is marked by a hands-on, no-nonsense style.

He doesn’t just sit in Abuja pushing papers; he’s on the roads, in the trenches, holding stakeholders accountable and pushing for excellence.

In a country where infrastructure often lags behind ambition, Umahi is a refreshing exception.

He brings technical know-how, business savvy, and a deep understanding of governance to the table.

From Uburu to Abuja, Senator David Umahi’s journey is proof that when passion meets purpose, transformation follows.

And as Nigeria’s roads begin to reflect the quality of his vision, the country may just be witnessing a new era in infrastructure development—one mile of concrete at a time.

Ihedigbo, Publisher, The Mirror Newspaper, and Media Consultant based in Lagos