FG targets N1.34tr from concession of 35,000km roads

The Federal Government has hinted that it will concession 35,000 kilometers of roads across the country, which will attract N1.134 trillion revenue.

This followed its economic reform agenda, anchored on public-private partnership (PPP) meant to develop and manage two federal roads in each geopolitical zone of the country, thereby supplementing the government’s budgetary allocation for development.

Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Raji Fashola, stated yesterday during the presentation of certificates of 12 roads in Abuja, saying this was the first phase, which commenced with breaking the projects into smaller highways.

He said: “President Muhammdu Buhari has expanded the country’s infrastructure development base from airports to construction of roads, Mambila Plant, Third Mainland Bridge and East-West Road, among others. We began with 25 and now we have 44 routes.”

On the concession plan, he explained that no part of the country would be left out, adding that government was doing these to address marginalisation as all stakeholders had been consulted on the plan.

Also, Director, PPP Resource Department, Michael Ohiani, listed the routes for the concession as the Benin-Asaba, Abuja-Lokoja, Kano-Katsina, Onitsha-Owerri-Aba and Shagamu-Benin road networks.

Others are, Abuja-Keffi-Akwanga, Kano-Shuari, Potiskum-Damaturu, Lokoja-Benin, Enugu-Port Harcourt, Ilorin-Jebba, Lagos-Otta-Abeokuta and Lagos-Badagry-Seme roads, which negotiations would end in December this year.

Ohiani stressed that the challenges and lessons learnt from the pilot PPP scheme would provide a guide in future transactions on other viable routes of the road networks in the country.

He explained that in the long term, the successful implementation of the scheme would lead to the imparting of new knowledge and skills on Nigerians with regards to development, operations and maintenance of highways and other road infrastructure across the country.