Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola

By Ismaila Yusuf Chafe

The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved the construction of five roads worth N309 billion in Borno, Kaduna, Lagos and Ogun States.

The Minister of Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola who announced this after the council meeting on Wednesday said the roads, totaling 274.9 kilometers, would be constructed by Dangote Group of companies under the tax credit policy of the Nigerian government.

“The memo presented was for the construction and reconstruction of five road projects, as the case may be, in favour of Dangote Industries Limited totaling 274.9 kilometers of federal roads under the federal government’s roads infrastructure tax credit policy which is one of strategic partnership with the private sector.

“Those five roads will cost N309,917,717,251.55 to be advanced by the Dangote Industries as tax credit.

“The roads specifically are Bama to Banki in Borno State, 49.153 kilometre; Dikwa to Gamboru Ngala (Borno), 49.577 kilometres; Nnamdi Azikiwe Road popularly known as Western Bye-Pass in Kaduna State, 21.477 kilometers;

“The Deep Sea Port access road Sections I and III in Lagos State through Epe to Shagamu Express Way, 54.24 kilometers, that links Lagos and Ogun States,  and the Obele Ilaro-Shagamu Road, 100 kilometers in Ogun,’’ he said.

According to him, the council also approved the memorandum, to facilitate the construction of the 274 kilometres of concrete road and “this will be the largest single award of concrete roads ever undertaken by the government of Nigeria in one award”.

The Minister of Power, Mr Sale Mamman, told the correspondents that the council approved three memos for the ministry.

He said the approved projects included the construction of 45 km Offafa-Umuahia Transmission Line in Abia in the sum of 170,465 dollars plus N814.1 million.

Mamman disclosed that the council approved N259.9 milliom for construction of a substation at Obajana with line base extension at Lokoja.

“The last one is the construction, design, and supply of 2 by 50 MVA 132 33 substation at Ikom with 2 by 132 line base transmission at Calabar, Cross River.

“It also includes the design and construction of 220 km Calabar-Ikom 132 Cable Double Circuit Transmission Line. The amount is 39.9 million dollars plus N9.5billion.’’