Second Niger Bridge To Be Ready By April - FG ·  As Gambari, Fashola, Ngige, others inspect Bridge, record milestone of walking from Asaba to Onitsha end of Project The Federal Government has assured that the Second Niger Bridge will be completed by April 2022 and would be commissioned by President Muhammadu Buhari before the end of the year. Describing the Second Niger Bridge as a national infrastructure with immense socio-economic benefits for the contiguous states and indeed the entire nation, the Chief of Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari , Prof. Ibrahim Gambari who in company with the Minister of Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN, his Labour and Productivity counterpart , Dr. Chris Ngige and the Managing Director of the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority, Uche Orji inspected the bridge on Tuesday March 8, 2022, said  that the project has once again demonstrated the President’s commitment to the bridging of the infrastructure gap in the country.  He said that the project being implemented by the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing is funded through the Presidential Infrastructure Development Fund in conjunction with the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA). On tolling of the asset when completed, Prof. Gambari said that the Federal Executive Council (FEC) had developed a National Tolling Policy for the entire nation and that whether or not the bridge would be tolled was not the key issue, adding that the priority of the government was to get the project delivered. He added that if the road was eventually tolled, there would be alternative route. “So, when this bridge is tolled, the old bridge is an alternative route, so you have the choice to make between speed and price,” he said. Speaking on the possibility of managing the bridge through a concession arrangement, the Minister of Works and Housing said the major responsibility of the government was to deliver the project in collaboration with NSIA saying, “Once we have finished, if they choose to concession, they can concession.” Fashola said that the Ministry has secured the approval of the Federal Executive Council on a National Tolling Policy that is of international standard.  “Concessioning of projects is regulated by law. There are rules on how it is done. We are currently supervising the concession of 12 highways across Nigeria through the Highway Development and Management Initiative (HDMI) and the process is opened to the general public. “So, if we choose to concession this one, it will also be opened to the general public,” he said. He stated that the Chief of Staff to the President was on tour of the project to see that what the Ministry has been reporting is in consonance with what is happening on the Bridge so that he can brief Mr. President appropriately. The Minister said work on the bridge had reached appreciable level and appealed to the communities around the impressive Second Niger Bridge project to bear with the Federal Government as power supply was going to be interrupted for two weeks to put finishing touches to the project, adding that adequate notice would be given ahead when that would be done. The Federal Controller of Works in Anambra State and the Engineer Representative of the 2nd Niger Bridge, Engineer Ajani Adeyemo said that the existing Niger Bridge was built in 1965 noting that it has remained the crucial East-West link over the years. However, due to age and excessive axle load and the heavy traffic congestion arising from the enhanced economic activities in the South-East and South-South transport corridors, the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing initiated the second Niger Bridge which has attained 93 percent completion under the leadership of President Buhari. According to him, the bridge when completed would reduce the strain on the existing Niger Bridge, improve traffic flow, improve health, security and create opportunities for the host communities as well as Nigerians to improve their socio-economic activities. The highlight of the inspection visit was the historic walk of the Chief of Staff to Mr.President, the Honourable Ministers of Works and Housing, the Honourable Minister of Labour and Productivity and others including senior journalists from various media houses from the Onitsha end to the Asaba side of the Bridge.   ...

Palliative Measures On Nigerian Roads Are Paying Off – Fashola ·    Says Rehabilitation, Construction works ongoing across the country as Ministry presents 2021 Ember Months, Post Rainy Season Palliative Works Report to Stakeholders ·      Minister urges truck drivers to desist from parking on road shoulders ·      NARTO, NURTW, other stakeholders commend FG as FRSC reports 9% reduction in accident rates during the period The Minister of Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, SAN has said the Federal Government's ember months palliative measures on fixing Nigerian roads are paying off. Fashola made the remark in Abuja during a performance review meeting of stakeholders on the 2021 Ember Months and Post Rainy Season Palliative Works on Nigerian Roads. Fashola said that the Ministry and the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA) yearly undertake routine palliative repairs of federal roads across the country during the ember months and post rainy season to facilitate easy movement of travelers, motorists, goods and services. Fashola reiterated that different seasons bring different challenges and so the plan for every season is based on the report available and with such feedback things would be done better. “Seasons of the year bring different challenges, so what works for one season is not going to work for another season and we must remember this as public servants.  It is with plan we can make things better. Things don’t happen by accident, we can control how they happen with good planning,” he said. The Minister explained that ember months is not a period to toy with. It is a period when most things begin to happen naturally and based on that the roads become so busy which compels the Ministry and the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency to carry out palliative works on the roads to reduce accidents and other ugly incidents on the roads. “So, let’s remember what ember months is, it is months indicating clearly that the year is coming to an end.  And as the year ends certain things begin to happen naturally.  People still travel, there are a lot of social and religious gatherings and movements, people consume a lot more items than they normally consume and the roads will be busy,” he added. Fashola stated that with the ember months palliative measures on busy roads to ensure seamless travelling by the general public, accidents rate according to reports by the Federal Road Safety Commission reduced by 9% which is a positive development. “There is an indication that accidents rate has reduced with about 9% and that is a very positive thing, which means there were less deaths and loss of property,” he said. The Minister tasked every road user to be conscious of the fact that the road is a shared asset and can only last when used properly and no asset will last if it is abused.  He urged the truck drivers to avoid parking on road shoulders because it reduces its life span. He, however, stated that road palliatives are not the final answer but construction and rehabilitation and that the Ministry has repaired and constructed many roads and still doing more across the states of the Federation. The Minister charged contractors on Nigerian roads to use proper road signages at all the construction sites and to ensure that standards are not compromised. He warned that any contractor not complying with the standards must be sanctioned according to the law. In their remarks at the event,  the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) representative, Deputy Corps Marshal Operations, Kayode Fanola, the National President Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO),  Yusuf Lawal Othman and National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) representative, Deputy General Secretary, Comrade Anthony Asogwa, commended the Ministry and the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency for the laudable achievements on roads maintenance palliatives across the country during the ember months as they helped curb accidents rate. Earlier, the Director Highways Construction and Rehabilitation in the Ministry, Engr. Folorunso Esan, made a detailed presentation on the various Highways across the country where the ember months and post rainy season palliative measures were carried out. Engr. Esan stated that the Federal Government released the needed funds to carry out the palliative works on the affected roads. The Managing Director/ Chief Executive Officer of the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency, Engr. Nuruddeen Rafindadi also corroborated the fact that the Federal Government provided the needed funds for the execution of the repair works on the affected roads.   ...

FG’s Achievements on Roads, Housing Infrastructure Remarkable - Fashola  .... 1,019 road, bridge projects ongoing, 941kms completed, commissioned  *... National Housing Programme in 34 states ready for Commissioning * The Minister of Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, SAN, has stated that the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari has achieved more on infrastructure development for the country  than any other administration in recent times.  Fashola , who made a presentation on Tuesday, February 22, 2022, at  a Town Hall Meeting organized in Abuja by the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohamed, spoke alongside the Ministers of Finance, Budget and Economic Planning, Dr. (Mrs.) Zainab  Shamsuna Ahmed  and Minister of State for Power, Engr. Goody Agbah who also presented the score cards of their Ministries as part of the Federal Government’s achievements in Infrastructure development. The Minister explained that the Progressive government of President Buhari was currently handling 1,019 roads and bridge projects nationwide, adding that it within 18 days towards the ends of last year, it commissioned 941 kilometers of roads connecting 10 states across five geo-political zones   which are impacting positively on the lives of the people in many more ways. The commissioned roads are: Kebbi-Sokoto-Kontagora-Jega - Yawuri Road in Sokoto and Kebbi States; Shuarin-Azare Road in Jigawa and Bauchi States; Azare - Potiskum Road in Bauchi and Yobe States; Vandeikya – Obudu Road in Benue and Cross River States and Nnewe – Oduma Road in Enugu and Ebonyi States. He also stated that bridges such as the joint border bridge in Mfum ,  Cross River State which is a major international link to Cameroon ; Ikom  bridge which was now a gateway to the northern part of the country through Katsina-Ala ìn Benue state had all been completed by the Federal government. Accordingly, the Minister revealed that the Bonny-Bodo project construction which has four major bridges and eight minor ones were already in an advanced stage of completion. The project, according to him, is one of the major projects which had defied execution by past administrations but the Buhari administration has tackled and is making significant progress. Other such difficult projects in which the administration has brought to near completion include, the Second Niger Bridge in Anambra and Delta States, the Abuja – Kaduna – Zaria- Kano Road, the Apapa – Oworonsoki Road and the Lagos- Ibadan Expressway. Fashola listed other infrastructure projects across the country to include: ongoing highway and bridges projects, tertiary institutions internal roads rehabilitation, construction of new Federal Secretariats in six states and rehabilitation of 24 Secretariats across the country and construction of housing estates under the National Housing Programme in 34 states.  The Minister commended President Muhammadu Buhari for making available resources to continue with infrastructural development throughout the federation. According to him, if all infrastructural facilities are in place, they will ease the process of doing business and increase productivity, pointing out that farmers as well as other Nigerians engaging in various businesses could now move their products or render their services with more ease. On the economic benefits of road construction to the people, Fashola said, a lot of jobs have been created for suppliers of sand and building materials, artisans, labourers, farmers and even food vendors who make their daily earnings from the construction sites. For other Nigerians to appreciate what the present government has done on infrastructure, Fashola recalled the testimonies and experiences of some Nigerians as regards how the roads construction impacted positively on their lives. He quoted what Nigerians across the social strata said about the roads that were commissioned in their respective areas. “President Buhari is legitimately distributing wealth through investment in road infrastructure and the 100 million Nigerians he said would be taken  out of poverty in a decade would be achieved." he said. “What really distinguishes this Progressive government under President Muhammadu  Buhari is the focus and change it brought in governance. Infrastructure is one area that we are not only different but better,” the Minister added. Earlier, Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Mrs.  Zainab Shamsuna Ahmed revealed that the federal government had planned to spend about N1.42 trillion on infrastructure and N2.11 trillion on human capital. She stated that under the Road Infrastructure Development and Refurbishment Investment Tax Credit Scheme, RITCS, a total of 33 road projects have been embarked upon, covering a total length of 1, 564.95 in 2021.    ...