By: Amadi Vincent Uzoma
The President of Dangote Industries Limited, Aliko Dangote has urged the Federal Government to discard asphalt for concrete-made roads.
Speaking at the commissioning of the Apapa- Oworonshoki road by President Bola Tinubu in Lagos on Sunday, the business tycoon said the proposal for the dismissal of asphalt “is because concrete roads are easier to construct and maintain.”
He said, “The Apapa-Oworonshoki road will be a catalyst for economic development, creating employment opportunities during and after construction. It has also permitted the accumulation of experience in building concrete roads in Nigeria.
“Indeed, given the huge cost savings achieved in this project vis-à-vis Nigerian road terrain, it is recommended that the Federal Ministry of Works gives serious consideration to stipulating the substitution of Nigeria’s asphalt road networks with easier-to-build and maintain concrete roads with a 100 percent local inputs.”
Speaking further, Dangote noted that Apapa-Oworonshoki road is a critical course that interfaces different markets to the Nigerian ports and other key financial centers.
This, he said, informed the motivation to use Executive Order 007 on Road Infrastructure Development and Refurbishment Investment Tax Credit Scheme to reconstruct the road.
Agreeing with him, the Dangote Gather has been able to prepare capital for the total restoration of the whole 37-kilometer length of Apapa-Isolo-Oworonshoki road and its extension to 10 paths.
He added, “Executive Arrange 007 made the proper system for public-private associations within the advancement of street foundation ventures that have a measurable economic effect.
“This imaginative public-private organization system has empowered the government to supply a imperative foundation benefit without going through a few budget cycles including constant delays in extend delivery and inevitable fetched escalations.”
He further expressed that the Dangote Group considers the venture a Corporate Social Obligation, and has so distant recovered as it were 40 percent of the investments made.
“We believe that a more commercial intrigued rate recovery should be permitted given the tall fetched of capital within the Nigerian financial environment,” he said.
Meanwhile, in an explanation made accessible to The PUNCH, the Dangote Group said that President Bola Tinubu has commended the President of Dangote Industries Limited, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, for his selflessness in actualizing the venture.
Tinubu, spoken to by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, said the reconstruction of the 37-kilometer road, which commenced in 2018 by the previous government and was completed in 2024, is a win for all Nigerians.
He said, “Lagos is home to all, I thank Aliko Dangote for coming up with this initiative and in partnership with HiTech have conveyed the Tenth Ponder of The World.
“Lagos is not the only state experiencing development and development under the renewed hope agenda. I moreover congratulate the Minister of Works David Umahi for his enthusiastic commitment to basic advancement over Nigeria.”
This seriously hampered the clearing of merchandise and limited reach to markets, deadening the shipping and fabricating businesses and disturbing supply chains across the whole financial scene.
The implication was that companies suffered increased logistics costs which were ultimately passed on to the customers.
