Lagos to Sign Concession Agreement on Seme-Badagry Expressway

Gboyega Akinsanmi

The Lagos State Government yesterday disclosed that it would soon sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with a consortium of investors on the construction of the Seme-Badagry expressway.

Also, the state government directed that the completed portions of the Lagos-Badagry Expressway from Eric Moore to Okokomaiko be opened for public use following the completion of works by the contractor.

These are contained in a statement by the Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Mr. Ade Akinsanya, noting that the state Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode was touched by the discomfort being experienced by the motoring public on the Lagos-Badagry expressway.

On the Seme-Badagry road, the statement said the project “is a part of Lagos-Badagry expressway from Okokomaiko to Seme–Badagry. The section has been put up for private-public partnership (PPP) due to the magnitude of the infrastructure to be put in place.

“Aside, we have considered the PPP option due to huge amount of financial resources running into hundreds of billions of naira which the state government could not muster presently due to other vital competing demands.”

On these grounds, the statement said discussions with investors are at advanced stage and the Memorandum of Understanding would be signed to herald the construction of the Seme-Badagry expressway.

On the completed portion of the Lagos-Badagry expressway, the statement noted that Ambode had directed Lagos State Public Works Corporation to intensify palliative works on the road from Okokomaiko to Badagry.
It added that the governor had pledged “to continue to intensify all necessary steps to ameliorate their sufferings. All security and traffic agencies have been directed to enforce the Lagos Road Traffic Law, 2012.”

Aside, according to the statement, the security officers have been directed to dislodge all road side traders and hawkers from the road, while also arresting law enforcement officers extorting money from motorists.”

It said that the state government was committed to even development across the length and breadth of the state, adding that apart from major projects carried out by the Ministry of Works and Infrastructure, all local governments benefitted from 114 local government road projects completed in 2016 and the on-going 181 roads.

It said the governor had further directed that the same palliative works being carried out by the Public Works Corporation be intensified also along the Ajah -Badore corridor and other heavy traffic routes so as to give relief to motorists and road users across the state.

The statement said the 60-kilometre Lagos-Badagry expressway project being executed by the state government has two major intermodal transport schemes namely the Lagos-Badagry Expressway and the Light Rail Mass Transit.

According to statement, the projects have accompanying infrastructure- 10 lanes superhighway taking off from Eric Moore interchange and traverses westward through Orile Iganmu, Alaba Oro, Mile 2, Festac, Agboju, Iyana Iba, Okokomaiko, Iyana Era, Ijanikin, Agbara, Ibereko and terminated at Badagry.

It said: “It has four dedicated toll lanes, four service lanes, two BRT lanes, 23 BRT online bus stations and seven toll link interchanges, seven bridges and 16 flyovers amongst other features.”

He explained that for ease of funding and construction, the 60 kilometre road project was originally divided into three lots, Eric Moore to Mile 2, Mile 2 to Okokomaiko and Okokomaiko to Seme-Badagry.