By Fatima Saka
The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved
N11.54trn revenue of nine federal roads under the
Highway Development and Management Initiative
(HDMI).
The Infrastructure Concession Regulatory
Commission (ICRC) on Wednesday, in Abuja
disclosed this.
It added that the project, which will utilize the
Public Private Partnership Model, is expected to
generate N11.54 trillion in the 25 years concession
period under the regulatory guidance of ICRC.
ICRC further said that the partnership will enable
the development and management of the federal
road network, thereby supplementing the federal
government’s budgetary allocation for
infrastructural development.
The nine approved roads include Benin-Asaba, a
125 kilometres road that has been commissioned
for a 25-year period to Africa Plus Consortium and is
expected to generate N1.58 trillion within the
period.
Second is the 195 kilometres Abuja- Lokoja road
which was concessioned to Avia Infrastructure
Services Limited (AISL) for a 25-year period and is
expected to generate N1.76 trillion.
The third is the 161.2km Onitsha-Owerri-Aba route,
which was given to Eyimba Economic City
Consortium and is expected to generate N706
billion in the 25-year concession period.
Fourth is the Shagamu – Benin road, a 258
kilometres road that has been concessioned to
AFC/Mota Engil Consortium for a 25 years period
and is expected to generate N2 trillion.
Abuja-Keffi-Akwanga is the fifth route and is a 175.9
kilometres road that is to be managed by China
Harbour Engineering Company Ltd for a 25-year
concession period. It is expected to generate N540
billion within the period.
Sixth is the Kano-Shuari road, a 100 kilometers road
that is concessioned to the Dafac Consortium for a
27 year period. It is projected that the road will
generate N813 billion within the period of
concession.
The seventh road that was approved is the Enugu–
Port Harcourt, which is a 200 kilometres road. It
was commissioned to Eyimba Economic City
Consortium for 25 years and the expected revenue
is put at N1.15 trillion.
The eighth road is the 80 kilometers Lagos-Ota-
Abeokuta road, which is expected to generate
N1.57 trillion in the 25-year concession period. It
was concessioned to the Africa Plus Consortium.
According to ICRC, FEC also approved the
concession of the Lagos-Badagry-Seme Border, a
79-kilometer route, and was given to AFC/Mota
Engil Consortium for a 25-year period with
projected revenue of N1.35 trillion.
Manji Yarling, acting head of Media and Publicity at
ICRC, said the highway development project which
was initiated by the Federal Ministry of Works and
Housing originally targets 12 road corridors within
which there are 13 routes, however, three corridors
and one route are yet to reach the FEC approval
stage.
“The projects aim to ensure the management and
development of the Nigerian Federal Road Network
with the ultimate aim of achieving adequate
highway services across the entire network through
construction, rehabilitation, and management of
the road pavement in line with the Federal
Government’s economic reform agenda and global
best practices,” he said.
Given the concession, he said, the concessionaires
will be responsible for the expansion, re-alignment,
rehabilitation, and maintenance of existing road
pavement and bridge, construction of interchanges
and pedestrian crossing, and construction and
operations of tolling operations as well as provision
of towing services.
“They will also provide ambulance services and
refuse management, provision of directional
signage, provision of rest areas, highway
illumination, among others,” he added.
He said the projected revenue from private
investors is expected to decrease the financial
burden of maintaining and rehabilitating the
concessioned highway roads and will allow the
Federal Government to meet other obligations.