President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, and Minister of Works David Umahi, among others, have praised the President of Dangote Industries Limited, Aliko Dangote, and HiTech Construction for their roles in completing the Oworonshoki-Apapa Expressway.
The 37-kilometre road, which began in 2018 under the Muhammadu Buhari administration and was completed in 2024, represents a significant achievement for all Nigerians.
President Tinubu, represented by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, highlighted the crucial role of Lagos State to Nigeria’s overall prosperity. He expressed his gratitude to Mr Dangote for initiating and delivering what he called the “Tenth Wonder of the World” in partnership with HiTech. “Lagos is home to all, and this project benefits everyone,” he said, commending Minister Umahi for his dedication to structural development nationwide.
Reflecting on the road’s condition before December 2018, Mr Dangote described how its poor state severely hindered the movement of goods, disrupting supply chains and causing significant economic losses.
“Before the completion of this road, it used to take two weeks to reach the port, and we lost over N60 billion in demurrage within 18 months,” he noted.
Mr Dangote emphasised the positive impact of public-private collaboration, citing the Executive Order 007 in the Road Infrastructure Development and Refurbishment Investment Tax Credit Scheme as a key factor in mobilising capital for the project’s completion.
“We have refurbished the entire 37-kilometre length of the Apapa-Isolo-Oworonshoki road, expanding it to 10 lanes,” he added.
Dangote also called for a review of the scheme to make it more viable for private sector participants, noting that only 40% of the investment has been recovered, with the balance due in 2027.
“We view this project as Corporate Social Responsibility, but a more commercial interest rate recovery is necessary given the high cost of capital in Nigeria,” he stated.
Minister Umahi commended the quality of the project and the use of Dangote Cement, recalling his own experience of being stuck on the road for eight hours. He praised the project’s innovative technology and its completion with solar-powered streetlights. Additionally, Umahi announced a presidential approval to ban sand excavation within 10 kilometres of bridges to ensure their longevity.
Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, represented by his deputy Obafemi Hamzat, revealed that about 20 companies had relocated from the Apapa area due to the road’s poor condition.
“The state of the road was unimaginable. We are grateful to Aliko Dangote and HiTech for the excellent job they did. It used to take over seven hours to drive from one end of the road to the other; it now takes around an hour,” he remarked.
