By Mashe Umaru Gwamna
The Minister of Works and Housing, Babatude Raji Fashola (SAN), yesterday said the Federal Government would soon commence the procurement for twelve federal high way across the 6 geo-political zones of the country.
The roads are : Benin – Asaba; Abuja – Lokoja; Kano – Katsina; Onitsha – Owerri – Aba; Shagamu – Benin; Abuja – Keffi – Akwanga; Kano – Maiduguri (lot 1 Kano-Shuari; lot 2 Potiskum-Damaturu); Lokoja – Benin; Enugu – Port Harcourt; Ilorin – Jebba; Lagos – Ota – Abeokuta and
Lagos – Badagry highway roads are captured under the first phase of the FG’s Highway Development Management Initiative (HDMI).
Speaking in Abuja during the official ministerial notice of the commencement of HDMI, Fashola said the 12 roads were carefully chosen to ensure that each of the 6 (six) geo- political zones are covered.
He said: “These 12 roads were carefully chosen to ensure that each of the 6 (SIX) geo political zones are covered.
They aggregate in total to 1963.24 km which is 5.6% of the 35,000 km federal road network.
He said the FG is targeting the sum of 1,134,690,048,000.76 for the execution of 12 Federal Highway projects across the country.
“The initial capital investment that we foresee is something in the order of NGN 1,134,690,048,000.76 and the employment potential is an estimated 50,000+ direct jobs and 200,000+ indirect jobs’’.
He revealed that the FG was currently executing over 700 different contracts which aggregates to the rehabilitation and reconstruction of over 13,000 km of roads and bridges across all the 36 states including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Fashola, also issued the notice for the HDMI to commence the procurement for the 12 roads, which he said would be concessioned under the initiative.
The minister however,announced the launch of an e-portal commencing the procurement process for the 12 pilot Federal highway roads for concession.
Earlier, the Permanent Secretary of the ministry,Babangida Hussaini, had stated that the ministerial notice on the commencement of the HDMI signaled the commencement of the procurement process for the concession of the 12 pilot broad corridors under the initiative.
He said that the initiative would leverage private sector investment to improve facilities and operations on the selected routes and maximize the revenue generating potential of the routes.
Earlier, the Ag. Director-General, Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC), Micheal Ohiani said that ICRC as a Public-Private-Partnership (PPP) regulatory commission would ensure a level playing ground for all interested players.
“We are calling on all interested investors both local and foreign to participate in the bidding processes as it would be fair to all bidders”.
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