THE disclosure by the Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, that no existing federal road in the country can last up to seven years is a crucial observation that has for long been apparent to Nigerians. Tellingly, this remiss extends to state and local government roads. The decrepit condition of Nigeria’s road projects follows from an endemic culture of carelessness, incompetence, and corruption that has cost the country dearly. President Bola Tinubu, the state governors, and local governments should deliver cost-efficient and more durable roads and other infrastructure.

Umahi based his verdict on findings during his recent road inspection tour across country. He criticised the Nigerian construction industry, stating that the poor condition of the roads was partly due to a lack of professionalism and outdated construction methods. He directed contractors to redesign their projects to concrete technology rather than asphalt. This is a right step.

Umahi is right to blame professionals for shoddy workmanship, but the ultimate blame and responsibility belong to the elected and appointed officials and the agencies that award, oversee and certify public construction projects. Among these, incompetence, slothfulness and cronyism conflate with unbridled corruption in construction procurement. The results are poor roads, accidents leading to deaths, injuries and disabilities, and a widening national infrastructure deficit.

Across the three tiers of government, road construction contracts are sometimes awarded to unqualified companies. Even when they are awarded to qualified ones, the inbuilt system of graft by politicians, senior civil servants, and the field officers result in contractors delivering a shoddy job. A 2022 report said the Federal Government spent about N1 billion on repair works to salvage the Bauchi-Gombe Highway through various contracts with 10 different companies. Yet, the rehabilitated sections keep on failing. This is typical.


In 2021, the Anti-Corruption Network called for an independent scrutiny of the Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano Expressway contract, saying the cost was outrageous. The public procurement system is rife with racketeering. Apart from trillions of naira of public funds gone down the drain over the years, other infrastructure, and social services are denied funding.

Second-rate, ill-maintained roads constrain the economy and cost lives. More than 11,800 road traffic casualties were reported in Nigeria in the fourth quarter of 2021 alone, according to Statista. The Federal Road Safety Corps estimates that over 40,000 people die annually from road traffic crashes in Nigeria. The World Health Organisation said the 41,693 annual deaths on Nigerian roads represent 2.82 per cent of the global total.

Federal highways are in a shambles, militating against commerce. Some, such as the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, East-West Highway, Ibadan-Ogbomoso-Ilorin have been undergoing rehabilitation for two decades with no improvement. Some reconstructed roads are washed away with the first sign of rainfall.


A large chunk of the country’s 195,000 kilometres of roads is dilapidated owing to years of neglect. Umahi should therefore ensure quality reconstruction through diligent oversight.

In the United States, there are surveillance systems on procurement. Each department has an independent Inspector-General that scrutinises all procurement activities and submits reports directly to the Congress.

India, through decades of efficient blueprint and policy support, has developed the world’s second-largest road network, spanning a total of 6.3 million kilometres. It transports 64.5 per cent of all goods in the country, and 90 per cent of total passenger traffic.

Rwanda has significantly improved its access to sustainable infrastructure and strengthened its urban management through road construction linking its six secondary cities.

Through effective oversight at every stage, Nigerian governments need to ensure proper quality control, regulation, and material testing on road construction, repairs, and standards. Tinubu and Umahi should devise a more efficient procurement process.

The Federal Government should work with the National Assembly to drive legislation that will strengthen the Public Procurement Act.


https://punchng.com/repairing-nigerias-shoddy-roads/?utm_source=auto-read-also&utm_medium=web

FG of APC with future continuous sentence...


In 2023 we yet have effective and well managed social amenities.


Wittyness.

There's evil spirit distorting people in Apc...imagine our able engineer with receipt umahi joined Apc at national level and he's now all mouth.


What is really happening in Aso rock

🤫🤫🤫