FG Requires N1.5trn To Fix Roads In 3 Years-Fashola

The Minister of Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, has announced that the Federal Government would require a total of N1.5trn to address the road infrastructure gap across the nation in the next 3 years.

The Minister said this while addressing journalists in Abuja on Tuesday.

He said that at least N500bn is needed annually to develop its 35,000 kilometres network of roads, as work is currently ongoing on only 13, 000 kilometres of the nation’s federal roads.

“I think that a minimum of half a trillion every year over the next two, three years will be a strong support to really advance and complete as many as the 711 contracts.

“Again, people are mistaken what I said about 711 contracts to mean roads. No. For example, from Lagos to Ibadan expressway we have one road but two contracts, one with JB, one with RCC.

“On Benin/Lokoja we have one road but we have five contractors. So, the totality of those contracts are made of 711 different contracts on many roads across the country and the total road network now under construction or rehabilitation is little over 13,000 kilometers in different stages of repairs out of the total Federal network of 35,000 kilometers.”

Fashola speaking further, said that the Buhari administration inherited a number of road projects which were initiated as far back as 2006, 2007 from the previous administration, adding that efforts are ongoing to complete them before the end of 2023

On the use and maintenance of roads, Fashola explained that each road has a carrying capacity which should be taking into consideration by users, adding that most Nigerian roads were made to carry more weight than they were designed for.