Nigeria's
Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, has opened up
on how the Federal Government will carry out highway protects this year.
Babatunde Fashola
Babatunde Fashola, the Minister for Power, Works and Housing, has
explained how the federal government has prioritised highway projects
across the country in order of economic importance, PremiumTimes
reports.
Mr. Fashola appeared before the Senate on Works on Monday to defend his ministry’s budget.
In the 2017 budget proposal, the Ministry has N564.2 billion for the three sectors, out of which works gets N311.5 billion.
It has the highest vote for capital expenditure in the 2017 budget.
Mr. Fashola said the highway projects were grouped into categories in order of priority and importance of the projects.
According to him, the “priority 1” projects are “national priority projects on critical economic routes on the federal road network.”
“These are highly trafficked North-South, East-West routes used
for the distribution of goods and services across the country and major
river-crossing bridges.
“The sum of N150, 470,553,292, which represents 62.22 per cent, is proposed to execute “national priority 1” projects in 2017.
“Some of the projects are the construction of Second Niger
Bridge at Onitsha; construction of the dual carriageway of
Abuja-Abaji-Lokoja (Sections I-IV) in FCT/Kogi State; construction of
the Kano-Maiduguri dual carriage Road (Sections I-V) in
Kano/Bauchi/Yobe/Borno states; and the rehabilitation of Enugu-Port
Harcourt Dual Carriageway (Sections I-IV) in Enugu/Abia/Rivers states.”
“(Others are) Rehabilitation/reconstruction of the
Lagos-Shagamu-Ibadan Expressway in Lagos/Oyo states; construction of
Loko-Oweto Bridge in Nasarawa/Benue states; reconstruction of
outstanding sections of Benin-Ofosu-Ore-Sagamu Road in Edo/Ondo/Ogun
states; rehabilitation of Odukpani-Itu-Ikot Ekpene Road section I:
Odukpani-Itu Bridgehead; and rehabilitation of Ilorin-J’ebba-Mokwa
Road.”
“National Priority 2”
According to the minister, these are projects along the branch
routes from the critical economic routes on the federal road network.
“These roads serve as links between the major routes and
agricultural producing hubs, factories and mining deposits for the
evacuation of agricultural produce, manufactured goods and raw materials
to markets and ports across the country. The sum of N43, 143,299,357,
which represents 17.84 per cent, is proposed to execute “National
Priority 2” projects in 2017.”
He listed some of the projects as dualisation of Sapele-Ewu Road in
Delta/Edo states; dualisation of Lagos-Ota-Abeokuta Road in Lagos/Ogun
states; rehabilitation of Hadejia-Nguru-Gashua-Bayamari road in
Jigawa/Yobe states; and the rehabilitation of Ilorin-Kabba-Obajana Road
in Kwara/Kogi states.
Others are the rehabilitation of Yola-Mubi Road; rehabilitation of
Owerri-Umuahia Road in Imo/Abia states; dualisation of Yenagoa Road
Junction-Kolo-Otuoke-Bayelsa Palm in Bayelsa State; and the
rehabilitation of Damaturu-Biu Road.
National Priority 3
“These projects are specifically targeted at routes leading to
the nation’s refineries, petroleum depots, major ports and mineral
producing areas in the country to ease the movement of petroleum
products and imported goods from the ports and depots to other parts of
the country.
“Also, the sum of N25, 508,708,266, which represents 10.55 per
cent, was proposed to execute national priority 3 projects in 2017.
“Some of the projects are rehabilitation of Apapa-Oshodi
Expressway in Lagos Phase I & II; dualisation of Suleja-Minna Road;
construction of Bodo-Bonny Road with a bridge across the Opobo channel
in Rivers State; access road to Apapa/Tin Can Port, NNPC Depot (Atlas
Cove) to Mile 2; and the construction of Agaie-Katcha-Baro Road,” Mr. Fashola explained.
National Priority 4
Road projects in “key agricultural states producing cash crops like yam, rice, maize, cassava, fruits, etc.”
were categorized under “national priority 4” with objective of boosting
“the production of these crops and ease their movement to markets. This
is to enhance food sufficiency in the country and minimise losses.”
Mr. Fashola disclosed that N8.9 billion, representing 3.68 per
cent, was proposed to construct and rehabilitate roads in this category.
Such projects include the rehabilitation of
Sokoto-TambuwaI-Jega-Kontagora-Makera in Sokoto/Kebbi states;
rehabilitation of Otukpo-9th Mile-Enugu-Port Harcourt dual carriageway
in Benue/Enugu states; rehabilitation of Abakaliki-Afikpo Road in Ebonyi
State; rehabilitation of Akure-Ondo Road in Ondo State; rehabilitation
of Aba-Azumini-Opobo Road (Aba-Azumini section) in Abia State;
rehabilitation of Wukari-Mutum Biyu-Jalingo-Numan Road Section I:
Wukari-Mutum Biyu Road in Taraba State.
The minister said inadequacy of budgetary votes to sustain annual
cash-flow requirements hinders timely completion of projects in Nigeria.
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