The government clarified that its emphasis on concrete roads will not replace traditional asphalt roads but will only serve as an option for areas with high water tables and poor conditions.
The Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, stated that the policy on concrete roads has not yet been implemented.
Umahi made this statement during a briefing with State House correspondents after the Federal Executive Council meeting at the Aso Rock Villa, Abuja on Wednesday.
His comments were in response to warnings from the Cement Producers Association of Nigeria that the government's plan to introduce concrete roads will increase the price of cement from N5,600 to N9,000 per bag.
The House of Representatives invited top cement manufacturers such as Aliko Dangote and Rabiu Abdulsamad to discuss the high cost of cement on Wednesday.
This invitation followed the adoption of a motion titled “Arbitrary increase in the price of cement by manufacturers of cement in Nigeria” during the plenary on Wednesday.
Umahi, when fielding questions on the issue, cited documents showing that Dangote Cement Plc, BUA Cement Plc, and Lafarge Africa Plc spent N598.14bn on power in the full year ended December 31, 2023.
He also explained that the cost of gas for the cement companies rose by over 42 per cent in 2023, resulting in an increase in the cost of cement.
According to Umahi, the President has discussed with the cement companies and provided incentives to reduce the cost of cement.
During a visit to Sokoto, Umahi reported that the BUA Executive Director stated that the ex-factory price was reduced from N8000 to N6000, following the President's directive to lower the price.
“So it’s not because we are going from asphalt to concrete. And we are not totally leaving the asphalt. It is just an alternative, especially where we have a very high water table and then a very poor sight condition.”
The minister shared the council’s response to the memoranda he presented at the meeting.
This includes the approval of an additional N757bn for the dualisation of the 489km Obajana-Benin Road, N2.23bn for the Isheri-Ogun Road, and N114bn for Outer Marina shoreline protection.
He explained that augmentation was approved for the Obajana in Lokoja to Benin Road, spanning a total of 244km and dualized 489km.
“Around 2018, the previous government reviewed the project and expanded it to a total of 489km. We then received 'No Objection' from BPP. When I started in August, we needed to present the no-objection to FEC following the proper process. We decided to review the project to determine if dualisation was needed due to economic challenges and to assess the soil quality.
“So we had to resume the project without increasing the cost. We received approval to adjust the budget from N122bn to N897bn. The contractors were off-site because they weren't working under the new payment rate. We brought them back on-site and today we received approval.”
The Council also approved N2.23bn for the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency to repair the road from Isheri North to Ogun state.
“Now, under FERMA, we received approval for the construction of Isheri north, Lagos route, which will connect Ogun state. This will serve as an alternative route to Lagos – Shagamu Road and we plan to toll this route when it's finished. But by law, federal roads can only be tolled when there's an alternative.
“This approval of about N2.23bn to connect Isheri North to Ogun state is a significant achievement that has made it possible to toll the Lagos-Shagamu route,” he revealed.
Umahi explained the Council’s approval for the N114bn Outer Marina shoreline protection, saying, “The shore protection was done over 50 years ago with sheet piles. We took the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, on a tour along the entire 3.92km shoreline with Julius Berger.
“We toured the area with Julius Berger, CCECC, CBC, and BuildWell, and asked them to inspect and submit their proposals. Only BuildWell and CCECC submitted their proposals.
CCECC quoted N134bn for 3.2km, while BuildWell quoted N114bn for 3.9km. We presented both to BPP, and they favored BuildWell due to cost and modern technology using interlocking concrete to prevent rusting. So we got approval for Build Well for N114bn.”
Umahi mentioned the importance of the shoreline protection project due to its proximity to the recently opened Red Line and other existing structures in the area. He also noted that his ministry aimed to utilize the low-water levels in the dry season to drive piles into the shore.
