The Federal Government has earmarked N248.5bn for the construction, maintenance and rehabilitation of ongoing road projects nationwide.
This was revealed after an analysis of the 2023 appropriation bill presented by the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari(retd.), to the National Assembly in Abuja last Friday.
The President during his speech noted that appreciable progress had been made in the rehabilitation and reconstruction of key road networks like the Lagos – Ibadan Expressway, Abuja-Kaduna-Kano Expressway and East-West Road in Niger Delta.
He also expressed the hope to commission these projects before the end of his tenure in 2023.
It was reported that the projects were financed through the Road Infrastructure Tax Credit Scheme, Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority, Presidential Infrastructure Development Fund, Sukuk Bonds scheme and public-private partnership.
Some of the road projects to be completed include the rehabilitation of the Ikorodu-Shagamu road including the access road to Mosimi in Lagos State at the cost of N100m; counterpart funding for the expansion of Abuja-Keffi dual carriageway; dualisation of the Keffi-Akwanga-Lafia-Makurdi road in Nasarawa and Benue states; and 9th Mile (Enugu)-Otukpo-Makurdi road in Enugu and Benue states valued at N32.5bn.
Other road projects are the rehabilitation of Keffi-Akwanga-Lafia road project valued at N101.1bn, completion of the construction of the Chanchangi bridge along the Takum-Wukari road in Taraba State at the cost of N100m, dualisation of the Jattu-Fugar-Agenebode road and the reconstruction of Irekpa-Fugar-Agenebode road in Edo State at the cost of N250m.
Also, N400m was allocated for the construction of Bidda-Sacci-Nupeko road and the Nupeko/Patigi bridge across the River Niger linking Nupeko and Patigi in Niger/Kwara states.
The rehabilitation of the Maiduguri-Monguno road is to cost N250m, while the rehabilitation of Wukari/Akwana road in Taraba State will cost N150m.
The sum of N250m was allocated for the reconstruction of the Igboho Oloko -Agbonle road, while rehabilitation of the Damaturu-Biu road in Yobe/Borno states will cost N300m; the construction of joint border bridge at Mfum/Ekok under the Nigeria/Cameroun international highway was valued at N500m.
Others projects are the dualisation of Obajana junction to Benin (Okene-Auchi) at the cost of N5bn, limited rehabilitation of the road off the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway at the cost of N25m, construction of Apapa-Oworonshoki-Ojota Expressway valued at N1m, rehabilitation of Ilorin-Kabba-Obajana road in Kwara/Kogi states at N400m, and comprehensive repair works of the Eko Bridge (4.1km) in Lagos State valued at N75m.
Reacting, the Chief Executive Officer, the Centre for the Promotion of Private Enterprise, Muda Yusuf, noted the amount was grossly inadequate, adding that about N1tn should be earmark for road projects every year.