The Federal Government says Dangote Industries Ltd will complete the remaining 127km of the Abuja-Kaduna-Kano highway using concrete technology.

Dangote has however subcontracted the project to Hitech Africa Construction Company, the firm handling the 700km Lagos-Calabar Coastal highway.

Mohammed Ahmed, the Director, Press and Public Relations, Ministry of Works, in a statement on Tuesday, said President Bola Tinubu had approved the reawarding of the contract.

It could be recalled that Minister of Works, David Umahi, had on Monday directed Julius Berger to evacuate from the project site after both disagreed on a new cost for the project.

“President Bola Tinubu has approved that the remaining 127 kilometres of the Rehabilitation of Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano Dual Carriageway, Section I (Abuja-Kaduna) be redesigned using continuously reinforced concrete pavement instead of the present asphaltic one.

“The contract, divided into three sections, was awarded to Messrs Julius Berger PLC on  December 20, 2017, at an initial sum of N155.75 billion with a completion period of 36 months.

“However, due to one reason or another, only Section II (Kaduna-Zaria) have been completed and partly handed over, with Section III (Zaria-Kano) partially completed, while Section I remained in a deplorable state worsened by continuous wear and tear, as well as the vagaries of weather.

“In order to ameliorate the suffering of road users on the alignment, and most especially, in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of the present administration to enhance critical infrastructures and transportation as enablers of growth, the said section was redesigned and re-scoped.

“It was divided into two phases with Section I, Phase 1, covering 38 kilometres, redesigned to be built with CRCP and awarded to Messrs Dangote Industries Ltd., who subcontracted it to Messrs Hitech Africa Construction Ltd.”

He added that the slow pace of work and lackadaisical approach to the project by Julius Berger, despite several variations and augmentations, prompted the ministry to review the contract sum to N740.79 billion, which the firm rejected.