en.Wedoany.com Reported - The Nigerian Federal Government plans to deploy closed-circuit television (CCTV) surveillance systems on all federal highways. Minister of Works David Umahi recently revealed during an inspection of the Mararaba-Keffi reconstruction project site that President Bola Tinubu has mandated the coverage of all federal highways with a surveillance network, with the Abuja-Keffi corridor serving as a template for the system's construction and operation.
Umahi stated that the surveillance infrastructure will be solar-powered, integrate observation facilities, and be connected to security agencies capable of real-time monitoring of road activities. The system will incorporate a rapid response mechanism to shorten emergency response times on highways. The Federal Government is collaborating with the Nigeria Police Force to revive the Highway Patrol and Safety Unit, a department that, while established within the police structure, is underperforming. The CCTV network is viewed as the hardware component of the security architecture, while the revival of highway patrols constitutes the human infrastructure.
The Mararaba-Keffi corridor connects the Federal Capital Territory with Nasarawa State, carrying a heavy daily volume of traffic entering Abuja via one of its most congested routes. This section was selected as a pilot project both for its strategic visibility and because it is currently under reconstruction, allowing for the embedding of surveillance infrastructure during construction. Umahi likened the project to the second Niger Bridge, which is already equipped with similar surveillance capabilities.
JRB Construction Limited, a Nigerian company responsible for approximately 40 kilometers of the road, has completed about 21 kilometers of the binder course within eight months. Umahi noted that the company began work before receiving full payment from the government, a practice where contractors assume financial risk that is not standard in federal road projects. He praised JRB's equipment quality and willingness to operate under financial uncertainty, calling it one of the country's most reliable indigenous contractors, while warning contractors who have received mobilization funds but have not deployed equipment or shown progress that the government will conduct systematic performance evaluations for all contractors undertaking federal road projects.
Umahi stated that directors and project supervisors within the Ministry of Works will bear personal responsibility for failing to execute approved directives for federal projects. He also ordered the repair of damaged and potholed sections of the existing Mararaba-Keffi road and mandated the recycling of asphalt milled from the construction site. The implementation date for the CCTV pilot project and the cost of nationwide deployment have not yet been announced.
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