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A delegation from five member states of the Economic
Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has briefed the Minister of Works,
Engr. David Umahi, on the ongoing construction of the Lagos – Abidjan Highway
initiated by Heads of State and Government of five ECOWAS Member States.
The ECOWAS delegation which was led by the ECOWAS
Commissioner for Infrastructure, Energy and Digitalization Engr. Sediko Douka,
met with Umahi, in Abuja, recently.
This was contained in a statement signed by the Assistant
Director, Information and Press and Public Relations, in the Ministry of Works,
Clement Ezeorah, in Abuja, on Wednesday.
He quoted the Minister as saying that for ease of work and
speedy completion, the highway project should have a process for its
achievement like “sectioning the project,“ considering the peculiarities of the
areas across the corridor and also noting that some areas might be viable while
some may not be.
Umahi said, “I think for ease of work and speedy completion,
the project should be sectioned and put a process in place to make the project
achievable because some sections might be viable while some other sections
might not be.”
He underscored the importance of the highway project saying
that the road project would propel rapid integration of the region, boost
commercial activities, and improve social development among member states.
Umahi also advocated for the use of concrete pavement on the
Nigerian corridor noting that there are a lot of advantages to using concrete
in road construction without having issues of portholes or washouts, concrete
roads have a longer lifespan, it can withstand heavy traffic loads, low
maintenance, less affected by temperature fluctuations and that this has been
adopted by the Nigerian government.
The minister also said, “A lot of advantages to using
concrete to construct roads, concrete roads last longer compared to asphalt
roads reducing the need for frequent repairs and maintenance, it’s stronger and
can withstand heavy traffic loads, it also has low maintenance and this has
been adopted by the Nigerian government.”
He equally explained that while adapting to feasibility
results and technical studies, Nigeria would fast-track the completion of her
section of the highway describing it as laudable and would enhance rapid
growth.
Towards this end, he proposed that “We should fast track the
completion of our section following the feasibility result and technical
studies and design. A laudable project for rapid growth and development
Earlier in his remarks, the ECOWAS Commissioner for
Infrastructure, Mr Sediko Douka, expressed gratitude to the Minister for
granting them an audience.
He noted that Africa’s economic integration is hampered by
large deficits in its transportation infrastructure and thus the 2050 ECOWAS
vision seeks to enhance infrastructure development recognized as a factor for
economic growth and integration of people that will greatly contribute to the
creation of a regional environment favourable to the free movement of people
and goods.
Douka said the 1,028 km road project was initiated by the
Heads of State and Governments of the Corridor Member States namely: Benin
128km, Cote d’Ivoire 155km, Ghana 576km, Nigeria 79.5km and Togo 89.2km in
Yamoussoukro, Cote D’Ivoire on 28th February 2013.
He added that the steering committee of the project is made
up of the Ministers of Work of Corridor Member States and the commissioner for
Infrastructure of the ECOWAS Commission and the Minister is automatically a
member. Their role he said is to provide oversight guidance for the
implementation of the project and each of the Ministers reports back to their
respective Head of Government.
Also speaking, the Director of Infrastructure Department,
ECOWAS, Engr, Malik Ashoke revealed that the link bridge between Nigeria and
Cameroon has been completed and commissioned, nevertheless scanning machine and
weighbridges are yet to be put in place, and are therefore requesting that the
Nigerian Minister of Works may graciously aid in obtaining FG directive for
ease of clearance of the equipment from the wharf.
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