Minister of Works David Umahi has urged cement manufacturers to reduce prices, warning that the current cost is straining ongoing road projects and driving demand for contract variations.

Umahi spoke at the unveiling of Lafarge’s new corporate identity, now rebranded HBM, a member of the HUAXIN Group, in Lagos. He said the federal government would engage manufacturers from July 1.

“I want to insist that Lafarge now HBM and other manufacturers of cement should reduce their prices. The contractors are choking me to review their contracts. But nobody is reviewing anybody’s contract. It’s the manufacturers of cement that should review their cost,” he said.

He said President Bola Tinubu’s administration was investing heavily in infrastructure, urging manufacturers to expand capacity. Highlighting the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, he claimed Deutsche Bank had described the project as undervalued and of top quality, adding that neighboring nations were studying its technology.