Michael AndeyinPresident Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved N147.9 billion for JRB Construction Limited to complete the dualisation of the Oyo-Ogbomoso Road in Oyo State.
Sunday Dare, a spokesperson to Tinubu, announced the contract award on Monday.
President Tinubu has approved the completion of the dualization of the Oyo-Ogbomoso Road in Oyo State. Total cost is N147, 887,810,833,.87. Mssrs JRB Construction Co. Ltd will handle the completion of this all important road project that has lagged. President Tinubu fully aware… pic.twitter.com/tMG0Iyp6fC— Sunday Dare,CON (@SundayDareSD) March 3, 2025
However, Messrs JRB Construction Co Ltd has been repeatedly reported for delivering substandard work and failing to account for public funds.
The selection of JRB Construction raises concerns of legal and ethical breaches in the contract award process. The company’s history of failed projects and non-compliance with financial regulations contradicts the requirements of Nigeria’s Public Procurement Act of 2007.
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VIOLATIONS OF THE PUBLIC PROCUREMENT LAW
Under Section 16 of the Public Procurement Act, a contractor cannot be considered for government contracts if, within the past three years, they have shown negligence or failed to perform well enough on public project execution.
Exceptions exist for national security or emergency procurements, but such exemptions require formal clearance and strict justification.
When FIJ checked the status of the construction company on the search portal of the Bureau of Public Procurement, it found that JRB had also failed to meet its statutory obligations.
As of 2025, the company is not compliant with the Federal Inland Revenue Service, Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund, and Industrial Training Fund.
This alone should disqualify them from receiving new government contracts, according to the BPP. Yet, the company has now been awarded nearly N150 billion for a critical national expressway project.
FIJ observed that the company was marked compliant between 2021 and 2024.
HISTORY OF CONTROVERSIAL PROJECTS
JRB Construction has a track record of handling projects that either remain incomplete, poorly executed or lack accountability.
In 2022, FIJ reported how the company received N164.27 million to renovate and furnish classroom blocks in Surulere, Lagos. The contract was facilitated by then-Speaker of the House of Representatives Femi Gbajabiamila and funded through the National Cereals Research Institute, which has no educational mandate.
Signpost outside Obele nursery and primary school
When FIJ asked questions, JRB could not provide a list of schools that benefited from the project or proof of completed work.
The company would later claim that only Obele Nursery & Primary School was renovated, but official records indicated that the funds were meant for multiple schools.
That same year, JRB was awarded N418 million in partnership with Nasa Global Resources Service Ltd. to upgrade the Japanese Building at the Federal College of Fisheries and Marine Technology in Lagos.
Although the project was marked as fully funded, there is little to no evidence that the upgrade was completed.
The company was also given N185 million to construct inner roads from Ikate LCDA Secretariat to Sanya Bus Stop in Lagos. Trackers from BudgIT’s Tracka platform found that while the road was constructed, the quality was poor.
The social accountability group reported that the asphalt was thin, already eroding, and the drainage system was inadequate.
N185m was paid to JRB Constructions Company Ltd for the Construction of Inner Roads in Airways Itire, Lagos, on Sep 21, 2022.We tracked and report that the road from Ikate LCDA Secretariat to Sanya bus stop on the Oshodi-Apapa Expressway has been tarred, but it was poorly done.… pic.twitter.com/DzLsrsoMn9— Tracka (@TrackaNG) June 23, 2023
The project was contracted through the Federal College of Horticulture, Gombe, an institution that has no jurisdiction over urban roadworks.
THE CRISIS ON THE ROAD
The Oyo-Ogbomoso expressway has become a nightmare for motorists. Tankers, trailers and container trucks frequently obstruct the highway, causing hardship for residents and travelers.
In 2024, Daily Trust reported how armed robbers terrorised the road, making night travel more dangerous for commuters.
In April 2024, four people died and several others were injured in a crash involving an articulated vehicle carrying chemicals.
According to a report by Nigerian Tribune, the accident happened near the Baptist Seminary in Ogbomoso when the driver lost control after hitting a bad portion of the road.
The vehicle overturned multiple times before coming to a stop. Witnesses confirmed that the road’s poor condition played a role in the crash.
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In 2023, a 16-seater Mazda passenger bus travelling from Oyo to Abuja was crushed by an articulated truck while attempting to overtake another vehicle. Vanguard reported that the accident happened just after the bus left Owode Motor Park in Oyo.
Frustrated by the frequent deaths on the road, youths and students in Ogbomoso took to the streets in 2024 to protest. They condemned the poor condition of the expressway and described the government’s negligence as murder.
The post Tinubu Gives JRB, Known for Poor Project Delivery, N147.9bn to Fix Oyo-Ogbomoso Road appeared first on Foundation For Investigative Journalism.
