Stakeholders have expressed deep concern over the deplorable state of roads in the country.
They said the premature failure of the pavement of the roads is caused by excessive axle loads, inadequate funding, irregular payment of certified work done, and allowing traffic on unprotected pavement during construction.
The national chairman of the Nigerian Institution of Highway and Transportation Engineers (NIHTE) and the Managing Director of the Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA), Engr. Saidu Hassan and Engr. Chukwuemeka Agbasi, respectively, made the submission at the opening ceremony of a four-day programme titled “Managing Road Infrastructure Assets,” organised by NIHTE in collaboration with the International Road Federation (IRF), which was held in Abuja on Monday.
While calling on the Minister of Works, David Umahi, to use his office to facilitate and push for the much-needed presidential assent to the Road Sector Reform Bills, Engr. Hassan said the much-anticipated reform seeks to create the Federal Roads Authority as an Executing Agency and a Roads Fund to provide a sustainable source of funding for road maintenance in the country.
The NIHTE’s national chairman said the workshop is focused on training and capacity building of members with the aim of improving their technical knowledge.
“Nigeria had the best network of roads in Sub-Saharan Africa in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Unfortunately, these networks of roads were allowed to deteriorate without intervention.
In recognition of the gravity of the problem, the Federal Ministry of Works brought up Road Vision 2000, a comprehensive document to bring about the necessary reforms in the road sector.
“The 8th and 9th Assemblies passed the Road Reform Bills, but they were not assented to by the then President. NIHTE is appealing to the Honourable Minister to take deliberate steps to get the bills passed into law.
As a matter of urgency, we urge the Honourable Minister to facilitate the Presidential assent to the Road Sector Reform Bills to address the existing constraints in the sector.
“Rigid pavement should be encouraged for use on heavily trafficked routes and sections with poor subgrade.
We enjoin the Ministry to immediately begin to control axle loads on our roads and highways by introducing weigh-in-motion systems.
The new policy should be subjected to research and professional considerations in collaboration with public and private sector stakeholders across Nigeria.
“We urge the Honourable Minister to liaise with his colleague in the Ministry of Solid Minerals to accelerate the exploitation of the bitumen reserves in the country through private investors.
This will help conserve our foreign exchange and greatly assist us in providing good roads in the country at reduced costs.
“We recommend very strongly that the Honourable Minister urge his colleague in the Ministry of Steel to urgently complete the Ajaokuta steel complex to enable access to local steel production and reduce the cost of pavement construction,” Hassan told the Nigerian Tribune.
In his remarks, the FERMA boss, Engr. Agbasi said Nigeria is going through a critical stage where those managing its resources are expected to do more with less.
He stated that the management of assets starts at the decision stage.
“We are in a period where we are constantly challenged to do more with less. How can you do more with less if you don’t know how to manage the little that has been given to you?
Managing an asset starts at the decision stage. How do you design for maintenance? When you don’t have resources, you have to optimise what you have,” Agbasi said.
President of the Nigeria Society of Engineers (NSE), Tasiu Sa’ad Gidari-wudil, the chairman of the planning committee of the event, Isa Usman Emoabino, NIHTE’s national general secretary, Bola Mudashiru, and others, while corroborating Hassan’s and Agbasi’s views, called for improved budgetary allocation for road construction in the country.
YOU SHOULD NOT MISS THESE HEADLINES FROM TheWitness
How Sunday Igboho got his freedom — Prof Akintoye
The leader of Ilana Omo Oodua, a self determination movement for Yoruba nation, Professor Banji Akintoye, on Saturday, declared that…
FULL LIST: 43 items that are no longer contraband for importation
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has removed restrictions on the importation of all 43 items that…
How N16 almost made me to drop out of school —Prof Ogundana
Celina Folakemi Ogundana, an academic and professor of Sociology, is the…
I don’t have billionaire boyfriend, I lied —Mercy Eke
Former Big Brother Naija winner, Mercy Eke, has set the record straight by admitting that she…
Kenyan authorities arrest fake lawyer who won 26 cases in court
Kenyan authorities have arrested a fake lawyer, Brian Mwenda, who has won 26 cases while parading…
2023 AFCON: Super Eagles will be difficult opponent for Cote d’Ivoire — Drogba
Cote d’Ivoire legend Didier Drogba has predicted a difficult duel against the Super Eagles of…
