Highway engineers seek establishment of National Road Fund, additional agencies

THE Nigerian Institution of Highway Engineers (NIHE) has advocated the establishment of a National Road Fund, also seeking for alternative sources of funding to provide essential infrastructural base for the nation’s economic progress.

The organisation also expressed the need for a establishment of a National Road Board, Federal Roads Authority, road agencies at the federal, state, and local council levels to carry out roads management.

Speaking yesterday in Abuja, Chairman of NIHE, Isa Emoabino, at the association’s annual conference on “Road sector reform: An imperative to sustainable road development in Nigeria” said that other sources of financing is required.

Emoabino said that, “it is clear that Nigeria’s required financing for the road sector cannot be met through normal budgetary provisions. Alternative sources of financing are required.

“Fortunately, Nigeria is amongst the few sub-Saharan African countries with adequate balance sheet parameters to attract private capital in road infrastructure provision and operation,” he stated.

Nigerian Society of Engineers President, Ademola Olorunfemi, agreed that for preservation and maintenance of Nigerian roads, the tollgate initiative should be re-introduced to motorists.

Olorunfemi emphasized on the conference theme, which he said is apt and stresses on road safety, compliance, intervention, monitoring, assets management, reform and capacity building for the nation’s transportation professionals.

Emoabino lamented the process of road reform agenda of over 44 years old recommendation, which was sustained in the 1980s but was never sustained as the same agenda was proposed in the 1990s but was not actualised.