FG Undertaking 524 Highway, Bridge Projects Nationwide – Fashola
* Every State including FCT has at least 3 ongoing Highway, Bridge projects being executed by FG
* 80 Projects prioritized, to enhance ease of doing business
* Projects include 27 Sovereign SUKUK Funded, 47 scheduled for substantial completion in 2020/2021, 4 major bridges and 2 roads leading to the ports
* Also 43 Federal Tertiary institutions benefiting from rehabilitation of internal roads, 10 already completed
The Minister of Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola SAN, has updated the Federal Executive Council on the ongoing road and bridge construction/rehabilitation projects nationwide, highlighting 80 of them as priority projects scheduled for completion in the 2020-2021 fiscal year.
Fashola, who gave the updates in a presentation he made before the Council, said a total of 524 road and bridge projects were currently going on across the country adding that every State in the Federation including the FCT has at least three such ongoing projects.
He listed those on priority to include 27 financed with Sovereign SUKUK Fund, 47 scheduled for substantial completion in 2020/2021 and other priority projects, two roads leading to the ports and four major bridges.
Giving reasons for the prioritization of the 80 projects, the Minister who explained that it would improve the ease of doing business in the country, declared, “The projects on completion will bring about reduced travel time, lower vehicle operating costs and improve the comfort of road users as well as improve the ease of doing business in the country and ultimately boost the Nigerian Economy”.
He noted that Federal roads and bridges (categorized from A1 to A9) are major arterial routes that connect all states in Nigeria including the Federal Capital Territory, adding that the routes and bridges linked cities with high economic activities and carried majority of Heavy Goods Vehicles which gradually dispersed through the link routes to different parts of the country.
The Minister listed the roads to include Lagos-Ibadan-Ilorin-Jebba-Kotangora-Jega-Sokoto-Niger Border as A1; Warri-Benin-Lokoja-Abuja-Kaduna-Kano-Daura-Niger Border as A2; Port Harcourt-Aba-Umuahia-Okigwe-Oturkpo-Makurdi-Akwanga-Jos-Bauchi-Maiduguri-Gamboru as A3 and Calabar-Ikom-Ogoja-Katsina Ala-Jalingo-Yola-Bama-Maiduguri as A4.
Also listed are Lagos-Otta-Abeokuta-Ibadan as A5; Onitsha-Ihiala-Owerri—A.3 Junction at Umu Uyo as A6; Chikanda, Kosubosu-Kaiama-Kishi-Ilorin as A7; Mayo Belwa-Ganye-Serti-Mayo Selbe-Gembu as A8 and Jibiya-Katsina-Kano as A9.
Prioritized road projects being funded through the Sovereign SUKUK Fund, Fashola said, include Abuja-Abaji Road(Section 1,International Airport Link Road Junction-Sheda Village Junction), Abuja-Lokoja Road Section IV (Koton Karfi-Lokoja), Dualisation of Obajana Junction-Benin Phase 2: Section 1 (Obajana Junction to Okene) , Construction of Oju/Loko-Oweto Bridge to Link Loko and Oweto with approach roads, Reconstruction of Bida-Lambata Road in Niger State and Dualization of Suleja-Minna Road Phase 11 in Niger State.
They also include Kano-Maiduguri Road (Section ii, iii and iv), rehabilitation of outstanding section of Onitsha-Enugu Expressway: Amansea- Enugu State Border, Dualization Of Obajana Junction-Benin Phase 2: (Section ii, iii and iv), Rehabilitation of Enugu-Port Harcourt Road Section iv: Aba-Port Harcourt, and Dualization Of Yenegwe Road Junction-Kolo-Otuoke-Bayelsa Palm (20km).
Others include Dualization of Ibadan-Ilorin (Section ii) in Oyo State, reconstruction of the outstanding Sections of Beni-Ofosu-Ore-Ajebandele-Shagamu Expressway Phase iii, pavement strengthening and asphalt overlay of Ajebandele- Ijebu Ode-Shagamu Road in Ogun State.
Some of the projects scheduled for substantial completion in 2020/2021 and other priority projects, according to the Minister, include rehabilitation of Alesi-Ugep (Iyamoyung-Ugep) Section in Cross River State, construction of Yenegwe-Okaki-Kolo-Nembe-Brass Road and completion of rehabilitation of Ada-Okere-Ukoni-Amedokhiom Old Road, Uromi, Edo State.
Also included are the rehabilitation of Odukpani-Itu-Ikot Ekpene Road in (Section i) and Odukpani-Itu Bridge Head in Cross River State, construction of Bodo-Bonny Road with a bridge across the Opobo Channel, in Rivers State, rehabilitation of Odukpani Junction-Akpet Central Section of Calabar-Ikom-Ogoja Road in Cross River State, rehabilitation of Oshogbo-Ilesha Road in Osun State, Dualization of Abeokuta-Ibadan Road, and reconstruction of Apapa-Wharf Road in Lagos State, among others.
The four bridges under the priority projects are construction of Ibi Bridge, completion of construction of Chanchangi Bridge along Takum-Wukari Road in Taraba State, construction of Ikom Bridge in Cross River State and emergency rehabilitation/maintenance of Third Mainland Bridge in Lagos, while the two roads leading to ports are the construction of Agaie-Katcha-Barro Road in Niger State and construction of Baro Port to Gulu Town in Niger State.
The brief also provided a detailed record of ongoing road and bridge projects in the 36 states of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory.
Some of the tertiary institutions where the Ministry is currently intervening on roads, according to the report, include the University of Benin where work is ongoing on the rehabilitation and Asphalt Overlay/Construction of Reinforced Concrete Drains and Kerbs and Asphatic Surfacing of three Car parks of 1.1KM Internal Road.
Similar work include the ongoing Rehabilitation and Asphalting at Bayero University, Kano State, Federal University Oye Ekiti, Ekiti State, University of Maiduguri, in Borno State, Federal University Lokoja, Kogi State, Federal College of Education, Katsina, Katsina State, Federal University of Technology, Owerri and the University College Hospital, Ibadan, Oyo State.
Others include Kaduna Polytechnic, Kaduna State, Internal Road at Federal University Gashua, Yobe State and rehabilitation and asphalt overlay of 2.3 km Internal Road at Federal University Otuoke, Bayelsa State, among others.
The Minister, however, told Council that in order to accomplish the objective of completing the prioritized projects in scheduled time, an additional N255.6 billion would be needed to close the funding gap for the projects pointing out that the amount was the difference between the appropriation for the project in the 2020 Budget, which stands N157.05 billion and the actual estimate for the completion of the projects which stands at N412.64 billion.
25th Meeting of the National Council On Works
FG Committed to Entrench PPP for Roads Infrastructure - Fashola
Minister of Works an Housing, Babatunde Raji Fashola has stated that the Nigerian Government is committed to entrench the Public Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement to improve road infrastructure in Nigeria.
The Minister spoke at a workshop on Nigeria - South Africa Road Transport Infrastructure and PPP Collaboration Initiative which was held in Abuja, Monday, December 2, 2019
Fashola was represented by the Minister of State for Works and Housing, Engr Abubakar Aliyu, FNSE.
The workshop was organised under the auspices of the office of the secretary to the government of the federation (SGF) in partnership with the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC), Development Bank of South Africa (DBSA), Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA) and South African National Roads Authority (SANRAL).
While commending the ICRC for it's committment to increasing infrastructure investment in Nigeria, Fashola also appreciated other partners for organising the workshop, adding that his ministry is in alignement with the objectives of the initiative
He explained that the workshop would provide an opportunity to expand West African roads and rail infrastructure thereby improving the socio-economic well being of the people.
Accordingly, the minister assured that the govt of Nigeria will continually support the PPP and improve private sector participation, pointing out that government is already engaged in many PPP investments in the country
Earlier the DG ICRC, Engr Chidi Izuwah, had listed the benefits derivable from the provision of roads infrastructure which he said smong others include; creation of jobs, boosting production,, creation of industrial parks, springing of new residential areas and township
Engr Chidi explained that the ICRC and FERMA in Collaboration with the DBSA and various South African entities intend to produce and support a West African focused regional transport and logistics infrastructure development program.
In a good will message, the South African Deputy High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mr Bobby Moore expressed gratitude to the government of Nigeria for the initiative, stating that the swiftness in the take off of this event after the visit of the Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari to South Africa where the matter was discussed, signalled the committment of Nigeria in the collaboration with South Africa on Road infrastructure.
The Senate President who was represented by Chairman of Senate Committee on Works , Senator Adamu Aliero, stated that National Assembly is ready to work with ICRC to clear all bottlenecks for it to ddeliver. He explained that National Assembly will look at ICRC Act with the view to amending it to accommodate more of private sector participation in infrastructure investment.
Road Infrastructure, A Necessary Factor for Nigeria’s Unity : Mohammed Bukar
The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Works and Housing, Mohammed Bukar has disclosed that road infrastructure was a necessary factor for the unity of our geographically vast and culturally heterogeneous nation, Nigeria.
He made the disclosure today at the ongoing meeting of Federal and State Permanent Secretaries at the 25th National Council on Works in Calabar Cross River State. The theme of the Council Meeting is ‘’ Infrastructure as the pathway for prosperity’’ which according to him was ‘’Apt and deliberately chosen to address issues of job creation , poverty alleviation and wealth creation.” Bukar who was ably represented by the Director Highways, Planning and Development, Engr, Chibike Uzo maintained that ‘’ In spite of the present improvement in GDP growth , road infrastructure deficit and its attendant adverse effect on the transport sector remained a major impediment to future economic prosperity of Nigeria , especially in the area of food supply, employment generation and wealth creation.
The Permanent Secretary assured Nigerians that his Ministry was committed to integrating and developing Nigerian roads infrastructure through the completion of projects with positive impact capable of providing more conducive environment for local and foreign investments.
While welcoming all Stakeholders to the Council meant to look at the issues raised during the Technical Meeting which took place on Monday_ Tuesday(25th_26th November, 2019), Bukar expressed immeasurable gratitude to the Government and good people of Cross River State, especially, the Executive Governor, His Excellency, Prof, Ben. Ayade for providing the conducive environment for stakeholders in the Works Sector to deliberate on the myriad of infrastructure challenges in Nigeria.
In her address, the Permanent Secretary, Cross River State Ministry of Works, Dr. ( Mrs) Ihort Achu , commended the Directors from various MDAs for patiently brainstorming on issues of roads infrastructure which according to her were crucial to the economic development of Cross River State in particular and Nigeria in general. Achu happily welcomed the Permanent Secretaries from the 36 States of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory and enjoined them to feel at home and enjoy the hospitality of Cross River State.
SENATE AFFORDABLE HOUSING FOR POOR NIGERIANS
Senate Moves To Ensure Provision Of Affordable Housing For Poor Nigerians
25TH MEETING OF THE NATIONAL COUNCIL ON WORKS
The Honourable Minister of Works and Housing ably represented by the Minister of State Engr Abubakar D Aliyu FNSE the Executive Governor of Cross River State ably represented by the Deputy Governor Prof Ivara Esu the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Works and Housing Mohammed Bukar the Permanent Secretary Cross River State Ministry of Works Dr Mrs Ihort G C Achu the Director Planning Research and Statistics Department FMW H Dr Famous S Eseduwo and other dignitaries at the formal opening ceremony of the 25th Meeting of the National Council on Works holding in Calabar Cross River on the 28th November 2019