Aliko Dangote, the President of Dangote Industries Limited, has urged the Federal Government to adopt concrete-made roads.
Speaking at the commissioning of the Apapa- Oworonshoki road by President Bola Tinubu in Lagos on Sunday, the business mogul said the recommendation for the rejection of asphalt “is because concrete roads are easier to build and maintain.”
He said, “The Apapa-Oworonshoki road will be a catalyst for economic development, creating employment opportunities during and after construction. It has also permitted the accumulation of experience in building concrete roads in Nigeria.
“Indeed, given the huge cost savings achieved in this project vis-à-vis Nigerian road terrain, it is recommended that the Federal Ministry of Works gives serious consideration to stipulating the replacement of Nigeria’s asphalt road networks with easier-to-build and maintain concrete roads with a 100 per cent local inputs.”
Speaking further, Dangote noted that Apapa-Oworonshoki road is a critical artery that connects various markets to the Nigerian ports and other key economic centres.
This, he said, informed the motivation to leverage Executive Order 007 on Road Infrastructure Development and Refurbishment Investment Tax Credit Scheme to reconstruct the road.
According to him, the Dangote Group has been able to mobilise capital for the complete refurbishment of the entire 37-kilometre length of Apapa-Isolo-Oworonshoki road and its expansion to 10 lanes.
He added, “Executive Order 007 created the right framework for public-private partnerships in the development of road infrastructure projects that have a measurable economic impact.
“This innovative public-private partnership framework has enabled the government to provide a vital infrastructure service without going through several budget cycles involving invariable delays in project delivery and inevitable cost escalations.”
