Babatunde Fashola says all but 13 kilometres of the Lagos-Ibadan expressway will be completed by 30 April

The Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, says the Lagos-Ibadan expressway will be completed by April 30 but the Abuja-Kano one will not be completed before the transition to the next administration.

Mr Fashola said this at the pre-inspection of the completed Loko-Oweto Bridge in Nasarawa State on Wednesday.

“I want to appeal to commuters on that road for continuous patience and understanding: it is a difficult project to execute because it is perhaps one of the busiest roads in the country.

“Building through 40,000 vehicular traffic daily is not an easy undertaking, we cannot shut down the road. So, we have to manage and divert traffic for the safety of those involved in the construction.

“So, I want to implore that forbearance continues because the deadline date we have for completion now is April 30.

“In about four weeks, 26 days, plus or minus, that road should also be fully completed, open to traffic from Lagos to Ibadan, and beyond the toll gate up to kilometre 116.”

According to him, what will be left is nine kilometres from Kilometres 17 to 27.

Mr Fashola said the reason that would be left was that the Oyo State Government is constructing drainage across the road, adding that the drainage was necessary to help address the issue of excessive flooding and climate change in the state.

“We believe that it is better to wait for them to finish that project, and then complete the remaining nine kilometres, instead of building it now and then having them cut it up again.”

Speaking also about the Abuja-Kano expressway, to be completed on 30 April as well, Mr Fashola said it was the biggest of all the road projects in terms of scope and budget.

“Abuja-Kano is the biggest of the three projects in terms of scope, in terms of size, in terms of budget; it is 375 kilometres.

”It encompasses 41 bridges of different sizes. It was the last to start, so it cannot finish at the same time. That is the honest truth.

“But we have made progress from Zaria to Kano, that is, 137 kilometres, and the contractors tell us that by May 15 that site should be fully completed.

“Then, we have Kaduna to Zaria, which is about 70-something kilometres. That side of course, they say will be completed on the 30th of this month, fully open to traffic,” he said.

Mr Fashola, however, said the Abuja-Kaduna road which is one of the projects embarked upon by the Buhari administration, would not be finished in the life of the administration

“The eye of the storm, the most difficult part and that is the busiest part, is the Kaduna to Abuja side. That has suffered all kinds of delays and it would not be finished in the life of this administration.

“It is the most trafficked side. It has almost 40,000 vehicles in traffic every day. But those are not just the problems; the problems are that the right of way has been severely encroached on between FCT, Niger and Kaduna states.

“We are working with the governors to help relocate all the obstructions, otherwise, we cannot fully build it.

“Apart from that, the project is also delayed by the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano gas pipeline project. We need that gas pipeline project as a major boost for our energy security.”

The minister said these were some of the challenges unseen to members of the public, adding that both the road and the pipeline were important, hence they had to be taken in sequence and order.

“We lost almost a year and a half to security challenges or sometimes contractors had to move from that section completely – they could not work.

“Thankfully, we must acknowledge the work that has been done by the law enforcement agencies, especially the Chief of Defense Staff and his team.

“They have made the return to that site easier and possible for our contractors. So, those are no longer an existent problem now. It is just the manhours now to do the work.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Federal Government has also finished the Loko-Oweto Bridge in Nasarawa State and the Second Niger Bridge both to be inaugurated soon. (NAN)

https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/top-news/591895-nigerian-government-sets-dates-for-completion-of-lagos-ibadan-abuja-kano-expressways.html

Peter Obi

That Ibadan Express way dem really work on that road ...

Kudos to FG and BRF on this.

I still think they should have worked harder on the Ikorodu - Sagamu Road before now so as to take some traffic away from the Alausa - Berger axis which is causing so much pain now. Those going to Ijebu/Ondo and the East can pass through that route but the road is very bad as I learnt.

Na today?....we been hearing about the date for completion for decades now...

All the Best

Before the next administration finishes..... maybe.

Nice.

I love development news

Nice... Only good news is permitted in Nigeria henceforth....
See our just concluded 3bedroom bungalow construction if you're about starting your building project.. Link in my signature

Since 1999 this road has suffered construction problem and no government till date has taken the construction by force

That road has been constructed more than 20 times with mouth

My man

I pray it's so but I doubt

Apart from km 17-27, there are some other parts of the road that will be hard to complete by the set timeframe except they tripple the rate of work

South West and Northern government

Somebody plz help me eat dinner

Response please come In Jesus name

Quote me

Serious Hunger no be play

The only working minister in Buhari's second tenure is Fashola! Believe it!

Lagos-Ibadan road is damn due! I was plying that road going to UI writing post-ume upandan... now it's still not fully fixed till April 30.

seguno2:

The only looting minister who could not deliver stable electricity 24/7 in the six months promised when Tinubu was packaging Buhari as president in 2015? Was that not how the same Fashola looted Lagosians with sweet words instead of delivering governance outcomes

K. You won. The worst governor and minister ever in the history of Nigeria is Fashola.

Lagos-ibadan express way is bae. Kudos to FG. Job well done

Lol mission impossible, good job , but that deadline of April 30 is far too unrealistic

Lagos Ibadan and Abuja Kano

There are other regions in this country o

Me, I'm waiting for the Ibadan circular road.
Buhari truly tried on road construction.

Using Lagos - Ibadan Express on Monday made me happy I voted APC




.

we heard you detective.

Kudos....next

Kudos to APC for the completion of Lagos-ibadan express way. Please they shouldn't forget lagos abeokuta express way, the road from ijaye to sango tollgate is at a very bad state , also the traffic caused by constructions going on at ikeja along oftentimes waste productive time of people moving within lagos.

All these are landslide achievements for it is never too late. Honestly without sentiments, I commend the Buhari regime on infrastructures but his government got too corrupted and weak on ethical orders.

Last last, we go get there.


Meanwhile, I'm hoping to project an affordable fast coal stove into the market. When actualized, users will only need to buy the "Save9ja" stove and keep purchasing dr. Cooker (its fitted fast coal) with lasting grades at the cheapest.

I bet with my life that many will relax the fear over gas rates.

I'm in Abeokuta for whoever is willing to see me face to face and fund it either through partnership, free sponsorship, support or as an NGO. Five hundred thousand naira, (#500,000) has kept this idea under the carpet for the past three years.

The above amount will conclude its research and produce many for immediate test-running within a month and dealers will be hugely welcomed.

I repeat it will kill off all fears relating to costly cooking energy.

Thanks.

#nlmods respects

Lol, nothing for east

Abuja - Kaduna, the most important
road in northern Nigeria couldn't be
worked on due to insecurity, mainly by
ragtag Fulani bandits who layer started
doing collabo with Boko haram.


That is the biggest insult on a nation, but
as usual with APC, they lack the brain to
understand what a failure that is, to the
might of the Federal government.


Nigeria development was being dictated
by a band of uncultured savages and
Buhari government was helpless❗️❗️❗️😐😐😐

I passed through Abuja - kaduna road over the weekend.

I can confirm to you guys that serious work is on going but truth be told, it can not be completed by 30th of April. Even if the contractors 10X their work rate.

The honorable minister should stop dishing us lies.

W