Sunday Aborisade, Abuja

The Federal Government has concluded plans to concession 10 major highways in the country.

Minister of Works, Babatunde Fashola, stated this on Wednesday while presenting details of the project to the National Assembly Joint Committee on Works.



He told the lawmakers that the project titled, “Highway Development and Management Initiative”, is anchored on a private sector engagement.

He said the investors would carry out the development and management of the road networks.

He said the rationale behind the private sector engagement is that it would provide an avenue to mitigate paucity of funds, which had hindered roads development in the past.

Fashola said the first phase of the project will attract a capital investment of N163.323bn at a cost of about N16bn per each of the 10 roads.

He also said about 23,322 jobs would be created in the first phase.

The roads are Benin – Asaba, Abuja – Lokoja, Kaduna – Kano, Onitsha – Owerri – Aba, Sagamu -Benin, Abuja -Keffi – Akwanga, Kano – Maiduguri, Lokoja – Benin, Enugu-Port Harcourt, Ilorin-Jebba.

He said the investors are expected to provide streetlights, toll plazas, rest areas, and weighbridge stations.

The Minister further explained that the total length of the federal road network is 35,000km but that the total length of the proposed first phase routes is 2,275km

He said another 10 routes are being identified for the second phase of the Value Added Concession.

He said “The Value Added Concession through the construction of rest areas will reduce fatigue on the highways thereby causing a reduction in accidents as the routes will be better managed and maintained.

“Through the Value Added Concession, there will be job creation in communities that fall along the route which will bring about an increase in rural development.

“Improvement on weighbridge stations will reduce the incidence of roads having to bear loads above their design weight. This will improve the lifespan of the road pavement.”

On the capability of the would-be investors to handle the project, Fashola said, applicants will be evaluated on their financial and technical competence.

The lawmakers commended the Minister’s initiative and described it as a worthy project that would enhance development, provide security and jobs for young Nigerians.

obailala:
Good idea! If I were the president of this country, everything would be privatised; from roads to railways, trains, airports, universities and even some govt hospitals.

yaki84:

Even the shit we shit

obailala:
Good idea! If I were the president of this country, everything would be privatised; from roads to railways, trains, airports, universities and even some govt hospitals.

24SEVEN:


NEPA wey dem privatise, we dey get light?

baby124:

NEPA needs competition. The only issue is the electricity industry is capital intensive

riches4me:
These people are fools. They are only driving the inflation higher, creating so much gap between d rich and poor. What happen to all the wastages in this system of Government. Cut down on the cost of governance and block leakages, u will see how funds will be available for government to lots for its citizens. A time will come d goat turn and face its chasers.

24SEVEN:


NEPA wey dem privatise, we dey get light?

obailala:
Privatisation has to be done properly

24SEVEN:



What has ever been done properly in Nigeria?

24SEVEN:


NEPA isn't just one company.. They are many companies running different functions and processes. From Power generation, to transmission, to distribution, to billing. And I've not even added side ones like provision of prepaid meters. Various companies are in charge of different parts of Nigeria. Yet all across Nigeria it is still shame shit, different paper.

24SEVEN:


NEPA wey dem privatise, we dey get light?

24SEVEN:


NEPA wey dem privatise, we dey get light?

obailala:
The key point to note is that nothing operated by Nigerian govt works.

The only reason we have phones or internet in Nigeria today is cos that sector is run wholly by private companies. The only govt establishment which works well in Nigeria today is NLNG, but that's because it's wholly managed/operated by the IOCs.

If the sale of refineries by OBJ to a serious individual like Dangote wasnt reversed by Umaru, Nigeria wouldnt currently be importing 99.9%% of its petroleum products (regardless of how bad that privatisation may have been handled). Have the refineries been faring better under govt control?... This needs no answer.

In summary.... Has privatisation been done properly in the past in Nigeria? NO!

Can privatisation be done properly? YES

Even if privatisation is executed poorly, do the assets/establishments have a better chance of survival under private hands? YES!

mancanoe:
But Yoruba is tactically excluded from this road usage tax while Igbo is tactically the highest payer of this road tax

Maxymilliano:
But the audio concession of the Lagos - Abeokuta express road to the Lagos and Ogun State government is yet to see the light of day.

The road have never been this bad, from Tollgate in Ota, down to Ajegunle, Amje, Moshalashi, Kola, Adura , Salolo , Meiran to Obadeyi is like driving through a war ravaged highway.

Motorists using the road have encountered only misery, devastation and utter neglect. The road is currently not fit for even a country at war.