10 federal roads’ to create 46, 694 jobs concession—Fashola

By Mashe Umaru Gwamna

The Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, yesterday said about 46, 694 directed jobs will be provided as the Federal Government concessions 10 highways across the country.
Fashola in his keynote speech at a Webinar on Public Private Partnership for National Highway Development and Management Initiative (HDMI) organised by his ministry said about N160bn was projected for the project.
The Lagos Business School and Infrastructure Concession and Regulatory Commission (ICRC) also co-hosted the event.
According to the minister, Beini-Asaba, Abuja-Lokoja, Kaduna-Kano, Onitsha-Owerri-Aba, Shagamu-Benin, Abuja-Keffii-Akwanga, Kano-Maiduguri, Lokoja-Bein, Enugu-Port Harcourt, and Ilorin-Jebba highways were stated for concessioning under the first phase of HDMI.
Fashola said the10 highways to be concessioned in collaboration with ICRC represent 2,225km or about 6.4 percent of the country’s 35,000 km highways network.
The minister said the 46694 direct jobs to be created would cut across construction, installation, fabrication, waste management, etc, adding that the indirect jobs will also be created.
He said: “In a nutshell, what the HDMI seeks to achieve is to bring multi-dimensional resources of skills, manpower, finance, technology and much more into the National Highway governance within Nigeria’s 35,000 km of federal highway.
“What we have done now is to identify 10 (TEN) highways representing about 2,225 km and 6.4% of our 35,000km Federal Highway Network as a pilot first phase of the HDMI.
“But our research and studies suggest that on this journey, the first phase of 10 routes of 2,225 km can elicit an investment of over N160 billion, approximating to about N16bn per route and unleash opportunities for prosperity.
“With this, we anticipate about 46,694 direct jobs spanning construction, Installation, fabrication, security, and waste management to mention a few. The indirect job opportunities and spin-offs remain a matter of excitable and mouth-watering expectation.