The Buhari Administration says it is determined to complete the Lagos-Ibadan and the Abuja-Kano Expressways, as well as the 2nd Niger Bridge before the end of its tenure.
Minister of Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola, disclosed this after this week’s meeting of the Federal Executive Council, FEC, while responding to questions on the situation of the projects.
Work on the 3 projects has raised a considerable level of hope in Nigerians, due to their importance to the country’s socio-economic development.
With only a few months to the end of the administration, however, Nigerians seem apprehensive about their completion before the tenure of the administration ends.
Raising the hope even higher though, the Minister of Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola, gave assurance that the projects in question would definitely be completed as planned.
“On Lagos-Ibadan, we have just 6 kilometres to complete between Sagamu and Lagos.
Zaria, by the 15, that place should be free of any diversion, and between Zaria and Kaduna, there will be about 2 diversions, and between Abuja and Kaduna, work will resume again and we’ll continue sometime in January.
On the Niger Bridge, we’ve finished the bridge. What is remaining now is the approach road from the Onitsha and Asaba end”. He explained.
Mr Fashola said FEC had approved the augmentation of over 14 billion Naira on the contract sum for the completion of the Kano Western bypass, propping it up from 22 billion Naira to about 37 billion Naira.
“Some of the items covered by the augmentation include the old amount of the VAT, the increase from 5 to 7 percent, the need to construct a flyover, international market, Interchange, and also the need to construct more hydraulic facilities to help drain water, especially in the parts of the road that pass through urban centers and towns”. The Minister said.