FG Settles for Concrete Roads to Ease FX Pressure from Bitumen Importation
Resolves to redesigns road projects below 20% construction
Fidelis David in Akure
The federal government has settled for concrete pavement roads as one of the measures to reduce bitumen importation and ease undue pressure on foreign exchange.
The apex government added that any road construction contract below 20 per cent completion stage would be redesigned to concrete pavement roads.
The Minister of Works, Mr David Umahi revealed the plan at a meeting with the Acting Governor of Ondo State, Mr Lucky Aiyedatiwa after inspecting federal roads in the South-west.
The federal government under former President Muhammadu Buhari had begun the construction of the road in May 2023
At the inspection, the minister declared that the ongoing Akure-Ado-Ekiti Expressway would be redesigned and constructed with concrete rather than asphalt.
Umahi said that concrete roads had been tested in several states, saying it has a life span of 50 years compared to Asphalt roads that will only last for 15 years.
According to the minister, any road construction contract that the job was not more than 20 per cent done would be redesigned to concrete pavement roads.
He observed that importation of bitumen alone “is putting more pressure on the Naira. With the use of concrete pavement roads, it would be more of local content.
“The issue introduction of concrete technology in federal roads a very important thing I must let you know. My argument is that you see a lot of roads that are built on concrete with a lifespan of 50 years.
“But there is no asphalt road in the South that will last more than 15 years, even if it is constructed by top contractors. That is why we are going round and then redesigning a portion of roads that are maybe 10 to 20 per cent completion.
“We are sure that this is the way to go and it has guarantee of 50 years. Not only that, you find out that we are having so much pressure on the Naira.
“The importation of bitumen is a lot pressure on the Naira. So, cement is a local content, almost everything we need not being produced in Nigeria. The high cost of petroleum products and the very volatile nature of the industry is also another point.
“Almost all our project that are awarded three years ago are due for review, some have been reviewed through VOP (variation of price) and so it doesn’t leave us with an assurance that if a project is started that it would appropriated for and it could be completed.”
Umahi said road construction was a dynamic sector as prices of materials needed kept on soaring and varying and despite all guarantee for road might not last for the designed life span.
“Let me put it on record that bitumen imported in the 1950s, 1960s are of more quality that what we have today so we have a lot of problems in our hand and that’s why we are of courageous to introduce the concrete road department,” he said.
Responding to the minister, Aiyedatiwa congratulated the minister on his appointment, commended him for the zeal on his official engagements.
Aiyedatiwa said most of the federal roads in the state were either deteriorated or poorly maintained, while many suffered severe degradation.
The acting governor called for the dualisation of Ore-Ondo-Akure road and the need to rehabilitate Ore-Okitipupa axis among other federal roads in the state.
According to Aiyedatiwa, it is noteworthy to mention that the intervention of my boss is principally what has made these roads remain in their present motorable state.
