The Federal Government has commenced the survey and design of the 700km Niger Delta Coastal Road which will link all the oil producing communities in the Niger Delta region.



The Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Mr. Godsday Orubebe, disclosed this during the 28th Annual Olumide Memorial Lecture, organised by the Nigerian Institution of Surveyors in Abuja.



He explained that the road, stretching from Cross River to Ondo State, would complement the 33km East-West Road currently being dualised by the Federal Government.



Orubebe, who spoke through his Special Assistant, Mr. Sam Osasa, said the Federal Government had concluded plans to build a rail network to link all the oil producing communities in the Niger Delta.



He said, “The Federal Government has ordered the Ministry of Niger Delta to begin the survey and design of a 700km Niger Delta Coastal Road which will link all the oil producing communities in the Niger Delta.



“ The road will open up the area and drastically reduce the problem of inaccessibility, which is one of the major challenges of the area. The road, which perhaps, will be one of the longest roads in Nigeria, will stretch from Calabar in Cross River State to Ilaje in Ondo State.



“On completion, it will compliment the 337km East – West Road currently being dualised by the Federal Government. In addition, a rail network is also being proposed with other critical infrastructure to provide easy communication link for the oil bearing communities.”



Orubebe further stated that the government was working towards the actualisation of the New Town Development Project in each of the nine states that made up the Niger Delta region.



“Land is being acquired to in each of the nine states of the region. It is expected that perimeter and topographical surveys will be carried out with dispatch on the acquired land in each of the sites.



“Also, a consortium of relevant professionals will use these products of the surveyors to come out with the master plan for the new towns in respective states.



Speaking during the event, the President, Nigerian Institution of Surveyors, Chief Yakubu Maikano, said there was urgent need for the Federal Government to establish a mapping policy for the country.



He said, “ There can be no sustainable economic development without sustainable land governance. It is imperative for the Federal Government , as a matter of urgency to put in place a mapping policy for the country



“ The mapping policy will give clear guideline to the complete digital mapping of the entire country for the take –off land reform . The policy should spell out when our maps whether urban or regional are out of date and will require updating or new ones produced to cope with our speed of development.”


http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art201011034193514

Fix LagosoreBenin road,make WarriPH road a sixlane rd and stop wasting time on fake OndoCR road that will only exist in paper (govt file)!

Simple roads in nigeria they cant even fix now they want to create a monumental road stretching all the way from Yorubaland to Ibibioland.smh. Why stop there why not keep going past cameroun, idiots. I guess now a lot of ancestral villages will be uprooted to accomodate such a devious project.