₦airaland Forum

Lekki Free Zone: Construction of Magbon Alade Highway begins in May, says Sanwo-Olu

Posted by News Express | 21 March 2021 |

By FLORENCE ONUEGBU

The construction of Magbon Alade Road, the ancillary road leading to the Free Zones in Ibeju-Lekki would take-off in the next two months, according to Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu.

The governor made the remarks on Saturday, during the second day of his working tour of the Free Trade Zone in the Ibeju-Lekki area of Lagos State.

The carriageway extends from Lekki-Epe Expressway into the Free Trade Zone area, covering several kilometres. The rehabilitation of the road is a partnership between the Lagos State Government and Dangote Group.

Sanwo-Olu, alongside members of the State’s Executive Council visited the Dangote Refinery and Petrochemical facilities on Saturday.

“Today, we have taken a five-hour tour of the Dangote Refinery, which is the biggest single refinery in the world, and also visited its fertiliser factory, which is the second largest in the world.

“Between the time I came here in 2019 and now, there has been a huge improvement in the construction and layout of the entire site.

“For us as a government, it is not to fold our arms and be expecting that all is well in this corridor. We are here to encourage the investors and to show them that we are with them,” he said.

The governor said that his administration was in place to serve the people; hence, anything that would ease the way business was done was critical to it.

“We have met and cleared out few issues around approvals, right-of-way and the infrastructure that needs to come on this axis.

“We don’t want a replay of Apapa gridlock here. So, we have agreed and we have planned a timeline for ourselves on the construction of Magbon Alade Highway, which comes to the free zones from Lekki-Epe Expressway,” he said.

Sanwo-Olu said that the state government would be complementing the infrastructure being initiated in the Free Trade Zone with Green Rail Line, which would raise transportation capacity in and out of the corridor.

According to him, the rail will kick off when feasibility study for the project is completed.

He also said that the layout for an airport being developed in the Epe axis was being done, and would prioritise its completion.

“In our master plan for the free zones, there is a Metro Green Line that will come from Lekki. We have done expression of interest already for the metro line.

“We are currently doing feasibility study required for investment on the rail project. We are also looking at the airport project of which we have done the layout. This is also receiving consideration as we speak.

“What is happening in this corridor is big enough to take three days of our time. The development is about jobs for the youth population and catalyst for the local economy.

“Local residents and other Nigerians are being engaged in the refinery and petrochemicals projects. The government is in a position to resolve any issue in order to create enabling environment for businesses to thrive,” Sanwo-Olu said.

The governor said the kind of development being implemented in the free zones was one that created a work-and-live ecosystem.

Meanwhile, the Chairman of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote commended the state government for its support to investors, adding that the refinery and petrochemicals projects were his largest investment worldwide.

Dangote said that Sanwo-Olu’s commitment made the free trade zone to be business-friendly, as the area would become the hub of industrialisation in the country.

“As Mr Governor mentioned, we are eager to start this project. As soon as we have the green light, we will go ahead with the construction before we even sign the Tax Deductible Agreement on Presidential Order 7.

“I have promised the governor that we will start the road in the next two months,” he said.

The Dangote Group Chairman said that the host community had not been neglected in the construction value chain happening in the free zones.

According to him, hundreds of local residents are part of the 20,000 Nigerians being engaged in the projects.

Dangote said the Group had intervened in lifting members of the host community, by donating modern boats for local fishermen, building hospitals, schools and giving deserving students scholarship.

Part of the sections toured by the governor was the Catalytic Distillation Unit of the Dangote refinery, which is the first processing compartment in the refinery to distill crude oil into various hydrocarbon fractions.

The governor’s team also stopped by the Fertiliser Industry and Dangote’s trestles, shoreline jetties, where crude oil will be transferred to the refinery.

Earlier, Sanwo-Olu and his team were at Longrich and Colori Lekki Manufacture in Lekki Free Zone to inspect the processing plant of the Chinese firm. (NAN)

Theunbothered:
This your first paragraph is just a dirty lie since the Ijebu- Epe Road doesn't even lead directly to the Lekki Free Trade Zone.

If you want to dispute that go and check your map and post the screenshot here.

All traffic will have to pass through the Lekki Epe expressway to get to Eleko then the Lekki FTZ


You talked about roads in Ikorodu and Ondo state that are being constructed meaning the roads aren't passable but you want us to think they are, because everyone on nairaland is an olodo apparently.

Don't worry when those of us who ply the Lekki-Epe expressway talk about traffic you will send us articles that will cut the 3 hour driving time down to 30 minutes.

Barges to evacuate containers from ports to Epe soon

By Sulaimon Salau
22 May 2019 | 2:22 am

Arrangements have been concluded to extend the use of barges to evacuate containers from the ports beyond Ikorodu to Epe soon.To this end, the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), with APM Capital to adopt barges as part of the plans to relief importers of the Apapa gridlock.

The Managing Director of Nigerian Ports Authority Hadiza Bala Usman, who confirmed this during a meeting with a team from AP Moller Capital, said the problem of Apapa access road seems intractable because of decade long decadence which was caused by multiplicity of problems.

Usman recalled that NPA had made several efforts including contributing ₦1.8 billion to rehabilitate the road at a time as well also coming up with “call up system”, which would soon be upgraded to be electronically operated.She assured that NPA would continue to consult with stakeholders across all levels, since the provision of infrastructure is crucial for sustainable ports operations.

Senior Investment Advisor of APM Capital, Fleming Dalgaard, assured on the construction of a jetty and truck park to facilitate the movement of cargo with barges from the port, adding that they would provide technical capital, competence experience, financial capacity and other required resources. Dalgaard commended openness of NPA adding that such transparency and efficiency were part of the quality that excite them to come forward for signing the agreement.

The agreement stipulated that: “NPA in realization of the fact that the provision of infrastructure is crucial for sustainable operation of ports has continued to pursue a programme of infrastructural investments.“The NPA and APMC entered discussions and have agreed to find a lasting solution to the traffic situation in and around the ports, there is a need to provide the level of required infrastructure.

“APMC has indicated their interest, technical capacity, competence, experience, financial capacity and other required resources to execute or cause the project required resources to execute or cause the project required for the attainment of item two above.

“The project that are currently being contemplated include the construction of a jetty and truck park to facilitate the movement of cargo by barge from the ports. APMC understands that some associates investments like construction of truck holding bays maybe required to support the option in item four above.

“APMC intends to commit financial and human resources to further explore these solutions even though the exact nature of infrastructure to be provided may differ from the option currently being envisage in the course of further studies and time spent on the project”.

Random: I saw this barge moving containers on the Lagos Lagoon a week ago. Like 6 containers - which is the equivalent of 6 trucks (or 3, if 40ft) taken off the roads no?

This morning, we received His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR as he commissioned one of our legacy projects, the 14-kilometre Ijebu-Ode-Mojoda-Epe Road in Ogun State.

#PMBinOgun #BuildingOurFutureTogether #ISEYA #OgunState

Ondo awards 37.5km Araromi/Lekki dual carriageway for N32bn

January 29, 2019


By Dayo Johnson

AKURE—THE Ondo State government said it has awarded contracts for the construction of the 37.5km dual coastal carriage Araromi-Seaside-Akodo-Lekki Road worth N32 billion.


Contractors handling the projects are expected to deliver them in 36 calendar months.

This was announced after the State Executive Council held in Akure, Ondo State.

The Information Commissioner, Mr. Yemi Olowolabi said the award of the 37.5km dual carriageway was done after a selective tendering method.

Olowolabi said: “The road project execution is to be co-funded by the Ondo State Government and the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, at ratio 60:40.

“The state executive’s approval, the road project is divided into two lots. Lot One, which is the 18.850km of the road, is awarded to Craneburg Construction Company, Lagos, for N16.9 billion.

“The execution of Lot one is to commence from Araromi Seaside and terminates at Awodikora/OKLNG.

“The 18.65km Lot Two of the road project is awarded to CCECC Nigeria Limited, Abuja, for N15.7 billion.

“Construction of Lot Two will start from Awodikora/OKLNG to Akodo-Lekki in Lagos State.

naptu2:
I think I need to explain a couple of things.

1) The refinery and in fact the entire Free Trade Zone is in Ibeju Lekki. Lekki (Phase 1 to Abraham Adesanya) is to the west of Ibeju Lekki, but all the goods that are going to go to and from the Free Trade Zone are going to be moved through the north (through Ogun), east (through Ondo) and south (through the Atlantic Ocean. Lekki Peninsula will not be significantly affected.

2) There are already facilities to move goods through the north and south of the Free Trade Zone. Dangote has built his port. There is already a road that links Epe and Ijebu Ode (in Ogun State) and there is already a lighter terminal in Epe on the Lagos Lagoon. Dangote also already has a jetty on the lagoon.


3) Ondo State, Ogun State and Lagos State are building roads to the north and east of the facility. Will they be ready before the refinery is ready? Maybe, maybe not, nobody knows, just as nobody knows if the refinery will be ready before the roads. Remember that the refinery was originally scheduled for completion in 2016, then 2018, then 2019, then 2020 and now 2021. Nobody knows if it will be ready by 2021.

4) What happened in Apapa is not a failure of planning, but rather an example of the indiscipline of Nigerians (both in and out of government).

This gridlock in Apapa did not exist when I was a kid in the '70s and '80s, so I had to ask myself what changed. I wrote this while trying to find an answer, but I need to include two things that I previously left out.

The reason that they stopped piping is because militants break open the pipelines at Arepo in Ikorodu and steal the product.

The railway system collapsed in the 1990s. C2000 Aliko Dangote made a proposal to lease vacant land at Apapa Port for his flour business. There was an outcry when he was given the land. People said that the government was favouring him. In order to appear impartial the government then gave some land at the port to Flour Mills of Nigeria. The problem is that the land that was given to Flour Mills contains a portion of the railway and they built their factory right over the railway line, so no trains could run from Ebute Metta to the port. The government is now demolishing that factory as it constructs the new standard guage line.

naptu2:
That's why I told you to read through the thread. I have already answered every single thing that you've written. Now I'll have to quote my posts.

1

[quote author=naptu2 post=109873615]So let's deal with the usual arguments.

1) Why Lekki? Why not Niger Delta? Well, why not both Lekki and Niger Delta? The Lekki Port has been on the drawing board for decades and it was proposed by the Lagos State Government, but it is not the only proposed deep sea port. There's also the new Bonny Deep Sea Port https://punchng.com/construction-of-462m-bonny-deep-seaport-takes-off-this-year-npa/ and the new Ibom Deep Sea Port http://www.idsp.ak.gov.ng/

So why not Lekki?


2) There's only one road into Lekki and it will lead to problems for people living in Ajah, Lekki Phase 1, etc.

Firstly, you need to know that the port is being built in Ibeju Lekki, which is far away from Lekki Phase 1, Ajah, etc.

Secondly, you also need to know that there isn't only one way to the port. There is the Epe-Ijebu Expressway, which easily provides a link to the hinterland (through Ogun State) from the port. The Ondo State Government is also working on the Araromi-Ibeju Lekki Expressway, which will provide a link from Ibeju Lekki to Ondo State.

3) Rail lines: There are two rail lines that are meant to service that area: (a) The Green Line of the Lagos Metro system, which will run from Marina to the proposed Lekki Airport and Seaport. Provision has been made on the Eleko Road for the rail line to run on the median. There's also going to be a link from the Lagos-Calabar national line to the Lekki Port.

4) Dedicated truck lane: The road will also have a dedicated lane for trucks (just as you have your BRT lane), so that they won't cause congestion on the axis.

Construction of the 6-lane rigid pavement on Eleko Epe T junction

Project Summary

This is the ONGOING Massive Construction of the 6-lane rigid pavement on Eleko Epe T junction by Messers Craneburg Construction.
Governor of Lagos State, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu flagged off the construction on 1st November 2020.

Project Details:

- The Total Length of the road from Eleko Junction to Epe T junction is 18.75km.
- CONTRACTOR: Craneburg Construction
- Provision of reinforced concrete drains, Culverts and Median Barrier
- Installation of Traffic Lights
- Landscaping of Road Verges
- Preservation of rail line corridor with 50m RoW
- Installation of Street Lights
- Dedicated Truck Lane and Railway Line (for future).

- Road to serve as template for construction of road leading towards the Dangote Refinery, Lekki Ports and the Lagos Free Zones, so that we don’t have a future problem with the ports like Apapa.

Mr Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu promised this project, flagged it off and delivering quality infrastructure to the Lagos East axis of the State.

SmartPolician:
This made me smile.

There's sense in it, but we are talking about cargo vessels carrying goods here...not flying boats. They cannot berth at Lekki or Falomo. It has to be at the seaport.

@naptu2, I am afraid your reply didn't answer the question.

Theunbothered:
Because that's the only major road leading to the Lekki free trade zone? You don't even have to ask why just use your common sense to know that truck drivers will do that and we will see the effects after a few years.

naptu2:
The Ijebu-Epe Expressway is meant to serve as a means of decongesting the new Lekki Industrial Area. A lot of large facilities are being built in Ibeju-Lekki, which is quite close to Epe and the Ijebu-Epe Expressway will be the route through which goods and people are moved from these facilities into the hinterland of Nigeria. Here are some of the facilities that are being built in Ibeju Lekki.


1) Dangote Refinery: The Dangote Refinery will be the largest single train refinery in the world. Petroleum products from that refinery will have to be moved to all parts of Nigeria and the Ijebu-Epe Expressway is one of the routes through which this will happen.


2) Dangote Fertilizer Company.


3) Lekki Deep Sea Port: Imported goods will need to be moved from the port to the hinterland of Nigeria and goods for export will need to be moved in the opposite direction. That expressway is one of the routes through which this will happen.


4) Lekki Airport: Goods and people will need to be moved to the airport and vice versa.


5) Lagos Free Zone and Lekki Free Zone: A lot of major factories are being built in the free trade zones and workers, raw materials and finished goods will need to be moved to and from those factories.


Governor Akinwumi Ambode of Lagos State reconstructed the Lagos end of the expressway and Governor Dapo Abiodun has now reconstructed the Ogun end of the expressway via a public-private partnership (PPP).

The Ondo State Government has also said that it will build an expressway from Ondo to Ibeju Lekki, in order to take advantage of the developments there.

Furthermore, I saw an old plan for the Lagos-Calabar railway and it had a spur that ran via the Ijebu-Epe Expressway to the Lekki Port.

Theunbothered:
Because that's the only major road leading to the Lekki free trade zone? You don't even have to ask why just use your common sense to know that truck drivers will do that and we will see the effects after a few years.

SmartPolician:
Let's say I have a company in Ikeja.

And I imported goods through that port.

I have trucks that would bring them to my Ikeja warehouse.

Which route will my truck drivers take to deliver them to my warehouse?

If you can answer this, you will know what Ajah is doing in the calculus.

naptu2:
No

1) Remember that Ibeju Lekki and Lekki are different.

2) The Dangote Jetty

3) The Ijebu-Lekki Road

4) The Lagoon Jetty

5) The Green Line Rail.

SmartPolician:
Good news. They should start operations immediately.

I hope trucks wouldn't have to come from mainland through Lekki - Ajah Expressway to access the seaport because that corridor will be turned into another Apapa nightmare.

The highly politicized Forth Mainland Bridge will be critical at this time. FG should assist LASG to actualize that long-awaited project.

Press Release on alleged carting away of PVC Registration Machines from a church in Lagos State today 29th July 2022
@inecnigeria

#getyourpvc
#BREAKING
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