The federal government has said the N15 billion tax credit being advanced by the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) would boost the reconstruction of the Lagos-Badagry expressway.
The Director of Federal Highways in South West, Mr Adedamola Kuti stated this recently during an inspection of the section three of the Lagos-Badagry Expressway project which spans from Agbara to Seme Border that is being supervised by the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing.
The tax credit being advanced by the NNPC is one of the funding arrangements the federal government is using for infrastructure development across the nation.
The first company to use the tax credit was Dangote Industries group, and in December last year, the federal government signed a memorandum of understanding with NNPC Ltd of N621 billion to fund the construction of 21 critical roads across the country. Lagos-Badagry is one of them.
The federal government is using the Road Infrastructure Development and Refurbishment Investment Tax Credit Scheme Order of 2018, the Presidential Infrastructure Development Fund (PIDF) being managed by the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA) and the SUKUK Fund for road development and management.
On the redevelopment of the Lagos-Badagry expressway, Kuti said about 17 kilometers had been completed on various stretches on the Badagry bound lane, while measures were on to further speed up pace of construction.
“So far, NNPC funds have brought in a lot of relief to this job. We have been able to pay some of the outstanding bills for certified works that have been done. So, our certificate number four has been paid up by NNPC.
“That is why you are seeing this tremendous progress that is ongoing on this road. NNPC funding for this job is just about 15 billion Naira but we have been assured that the government will not stop funding,” he said.
Kuti said the project was about 25 per cent complete and expressed hope that government continued funding would get the project to about 80 per cent completion within a year.
He said the contract was awarded in 2018 but that due to funding constraints actual construction began between 2020 and 2021 after the SUKUK funding came in, and now the NNPC Tax Credit Scheme.
“From December 2021 and this year 2022, this project has been placed under the Tax Credit initiative of the Federal Government that is being sponsored and being financed by the NNPC.
“We are here to see the progress that has been made so far on this road. This road is very sensitive to the Federal Government.
“Out of the 21 critical roads under NNPC funding we have two in the South West and Lagos-Badagry Expressway happens to be one,” he said.
Kuti explained that from Agbara to Badagry is about 46 kilometers, adding that the road had reached final layers on several portions including the Ibereko community axis.
He said the progress of work had reduced travel time and impacted Lagos residents using the highway positively while improving commerce on the axis.
He said more than 300 trucks of cement, over 30,000 trucks of aggregates and over 131 trucks of diesel had been used on the project which had employed over 500 people on the construction site.
Speaking on the construction, Mr Babatunde Hunpe, the lawmaker representing Badagry in the House of Representatives, urged the federal government to continue funding the project so that the work would finish on time.
According to the lawmaker, there are tremendous changes on the pace of work on the road in the last few months.
“I am sure that if this continues the way it is going by December this year, the residents and the people passing through the expressway will have cause to smile and thank the government more.
“I am appealing to the residents to cooperate with the construction workers so that the project will continue without any issues,” he said.
Also speaking, Oba Israel Okoya, the Onibereko of Ibereko land, said in the past, residents spent between five and six hours from Badagry to Mile 2 in Lagos.
“But today we thank the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari and Mr Raji Fashola for tremendous changes we have seen on the road.
“We want to implore the government to continue the good work so that by next year the project will be completed,” he said.
Mr Abdulsalam Ashade, the Coordinator, National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYC) Olorunda LCDA urged the federal government to construct pedestrian bridges for the residents crossing the road.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola has appealed to Lagos residents to protect road drains and other infrastructure from all forms of abuse and damage.
Fashola made the appeal during an inspection tour of the ongoing Apapa-Oshodi-Ojota-Oworonshoki Expressway reconstruction project in Lagos.
He said Nigerians should take ownership of the Apapa-Oshodi-Ojota-Oworonshoki Expressway and other projects, and put a stop to all forms of road abuse.
The minister decried dumping of refuse in drains of the ongoing project and others across the state, soliciting the support of residents on proper refuse disposal.
Fashola said the federal government was including beautification to the Apapa-Oshodi-Ojota-Oworonshoki road construction project, as part of measures towards protection of Lagos bridges.
He said people carried out various forms of businesses and activities under the bridges that caused fire and various other degrees of damage to the infrastructure because they saw unmanned areas and occupied them.
The minister said beautification was included in the Apapa-Oshodi-Ojota-Oworonshoki Expressway project to both provide aesthetics and protection for the road, bridges and the environment.
While inspecting the beautification under the Liverpool Bridge in Apapa, the Federal Controller of Works in Lagos Mr Olukayode Popoola, briefed the minister on progress of work towards construction of a recreation/relaxation facility under the bridge.
Popoola, alongside a consultant, explained how the design accommodated concrete stalls for a fish market where people come straight from the jetty.
The Liverpool Roundabout/bridge is the beginning of the Apapa-Oshodi-Ojota-Oworonshoki Expressway reconstruction project.
Fashola said Apapa was wearing a new look with the construction of a garden under Liverpool bridge to dissuade unauthorised persons from occupying the space.
He said the government was also considering relocating car dealers around the Berger/Mile 2 axis to stop the trend of selling cars on road sides.
