Nigerian conglomerate Dangote Group began work on the expressway in 2018, and the overhaul is the artery’s first since it was built in 1978, with the group adding 10 lanes and repairing connections with other roads. Another priority project was the 43-km Obajana-Kabba link in Kogi State. Completed in January 2021, it is Nigeria’s largest concrete road and links the north and south of the country.