By AKOR SYLVESTER-Abuja
The minister of works, Engr. David Umahi has stated that only completed roads within the geopolitical zones that fall to the economic corridors will be tolled in the present reintroduction of toll gates in some major roads in the country.
This is as the minister fixed March 1st, 2025 for the commissioning of asphalt pavements on the Kaduna road section of the dualization of Abuja-Kaduna-Kano carriageway, currently under construction.
Umahi who dropped the hint at the inspection of Abuja-Kaduna road project yesterday, said government will not toll roads that are not perfected and complected in the ongoing reintroduction of toll gate operations on some Nigerians roads.
He said, “before we toll any road we would have 100% completed the road, but where we have done roads, completed, maybe in the past 10 years and it is failing and we are still working in some sections, we reach an agreement with the stakeholders because one of the key problems of our roads is lack of maintenance. We have to involve the private sector in this maintenance. So if you have a road that is 200 kilometers and you have concluded maybe 150, we can discuss with the public, because if we leave that 150 without maintenance, then the problem is that it can go bad”.
Umahi said, “for now we are not telling any road we have not completed”, while assuring that the tolling will be done on finished road projects across the geopolitical zones of the country.
The minister said: “We are in section 1 of the Abuja-Kano route. Section 1 starting from FCT and they stretch over the Niger States towards Kaduna 38 kilometers by 2 and section 3 in Kano stretching to Aminu Kanu International Airport as directed by Mr. President. And so, the Federal Executive Council on Monday this week graciously awarded the construction of these two sections to Infiouest Nigeria Limited and they have commenced work.
“So, we are not here essentially to check the volume of work done but we are here on a side meeting to agree on the level of mobilization”.
He expressed confidence that, by the end of February, the entire network of the road is being completed on the carriageway. “And by March 1st, we will come back to flag off the concrete pavements”, he stated.
Continuing, the Minister said: “We’ve noticed a number of amendments we are going to do on the road to make it most durable. We noticed that we have a lot of depression beyond the field shoulders and so the palm secretary has been directed on what to do to get separate consultants and they have a team of the contractor, the consultant and minister of works to run through the entire stretch of the 38 kilometer and give us what is best to solve this problem of differential between the field shoulder, outer shoulder and the adjoining premises”.
He further assured that other job will be completed in 14 months starting from the 1st of February. “We’ve directed that by the next one week milling and asphalting at section 3 which is at Kano End should get started including the solar lights that we are putting”.
“You are aware that we have a number of additional works in the entire 375 kilometer from CH0 down to Kano End that we’ve incorporated solar lights and we’re also going to incorporate CCTV and then relief stations preparing ourselves for the drilling”, the Minister said.
