Enugu State Governor, Mr. Peter Mbah, on Thursday inaugurated a state-owned asphalt production plant in Emene with a capacity of 160 tons per hour, aimed at significantly reducing road construction costs for the state.
Speaking at the event, Governor Mbah highlighted that the new facility, built under his administration, is a key step towards self-sufficiency in asphalt production and achieving the state’s vision of constructing over 1,000 kilometres of roads annually.
He also emphasized plans to locally mine and crush stones, with future ambitions to produce bitumen, ensuring all materials are sourced within Enugu to strengthen local industry and infrastructure.
The announcement was made in a statement released by Dan Nwomeh, the governor’s Special Assistant on Media, via his official X (formerly Twitter) account.
“This is an event that brings us closer to our dream of bidding our collapsed, unpaved roads goodbye. This special and state-of-the-art asphalt production plant is designed to produce 160 tons of asphalt per hour. For context, it will produce 2.5 tons every minute and 160 tons per hour. What it effectively means is that if we decide to work 20 hours a day, we can produce 3,200 tons every day. This is not seen anywhere in the South East.
“The interesting thing is that we are also committed to making sure that we produce the inputs. In a few days from now, we are going to inaugurate a plant where we will be mining and crushing the stones that we need to feed this plant.
“It is our hope that we are going to start the exploration of bitumen in the state because we are also blessed with bitumen. So, in a few years, we are going to be able to produce the bitumen that will feed this plant. It means that we will get the bitumen here, get the stones, and sand so that everything is made in Enugu,” the governor said.
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At the inauguration of Enugu’s new asphalt production plant, Arc. Uchenna Nwatu, Special Adviser on Project Development and Implementation, highlighted the plant’s critical role in achieving Governor Peter Mbah’s vision of infrastructural transformation.
He said the Fabhind-manufactured plant, praised for its high standards and eco-friendly design, is the first of its kind in the South East. With a capacity of 160 tons per hour, it can produce 1,500 tons of asphalt daily, enabling the state to lay up to 2 kilometres of road each day.
This development, Nwatu added, promises smoother, safer, and more durable roads, directly benefiting Enugu’s citizens.
“This Fabhind product is eco-friendly, and undoubtedly, will help the citizenry to benefit from smoother, safer, and more durable road networks.
“Second to none in the South East, this asphalt batch mix plant boasts several special features that set it apart from others. With a capacity of 160 tons per hour, giving the state 1,500 tons of the best quality asphalt a day, we can comfortably lay 2km of road a day with two asphalt gang teams in place,” Arc. Nwatu stated.
