NSE backs Bauchi over N10.3bn award for 11km road construction

The Nigeria Society of Engineers (NSE), Bauchi State Branch had defended the recently awarded Ningi township 11km road at the sum of N10.3bn by the Bala Mohammed administration.

Critics of the government had faulted and raised eyebrows over the cost, saying that the N1bn for one km was outrageous for a state where the majority of the people are multidimensionally poor. Mohammed had on 5th of November awarded the road to MotherCat Construction Company to dualise the road.

While addressing the press at the Secretariat of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), on Monday, the NSE State Chairman, Dr. Muhammad Hadi Ibrahim, said that: “It is important for the public to be aware that infrastructure development comes with a price, and investments in quality roads have long-term benefits for the community.

“We, as the Nigerian Society of Engineers, support the government’s commitment to infrastructure development and attest to the integrity of the cost estimation for the Ningi-Gudduba dual carriageway road project.

“In conclusion, on behalf of the Nigerian Society of Engineers, Bauchi Branch, I would like to express our gratitude to the Bauchi State Government for its commitment to infrastructure development, particularly in the realm of road construction. We encourage the government to sustain this momentum and assure them of our continued support and collaboration in achieving even greater milestones in the future.

“We also want to address recent insinuations circulating in some quarters regarding the Ningi-Gudduba 11Km dual carriageway road project recently awarded by the Bauchi State Government at the cost of 10.3 Billion Naira. It is important to provide clarity and counter any misconceptions that may have arisen regarding the perceived over-inflation of the project cost.

“The insinuation that the project was awarded at the sum of 1 Billion Naira per kilometer is highly erroneous and misleading, because the road is not a single lane road but a dual carriage one.

It is essential to understand that infrastructure projects, especially road construction, involve various factors that contribute to the overall cost.

“The cost estimation for such projects considers not only the length of the road but also the terrain, soil conditions, drainage requirements, environmental considerations, and the need for quality materials.

“Therefore, any attempt to oversimplify the cost based solely on the length of the road may not capture the full picture. Notably, every Nigerian is aware of the rising cost of everything including construction materials,” he said.