- The Nigerian Ministry of Works has proposed to spend naira 29.5 billion (euro 172 million) to complete ongoing highway construction and rehabilitation projects in 2004. The Ministry says it first wants to complete the many ongoing highway projects "before commencing new ones." Also road maintenance is currently being strengthened.
Nigeria's Minister of Works, Senator Kingsley Adeseyi Ogunlewe, stated this on Monday, at the National Assembly Complex in Abuja, while defending his Ministry's budget estimates. Here, he presented the proposed budget of naira 29.5 billion in 2004 for the highways.
Senator Ogunlewe stated that out of the sum of naira 55.3 billion (euro 323 million) provided for Federal Highways in 2003 Appropriation Act, only naira 19 billion (euro 111 million) was released last year.
The corresponding amount of outstanding certificates awaiting payment as at 31 December 2003, the Minister said, was naira 42.084 billion (euro 245.69 million). This amount, he said as at today has increased to naira 44.071 billion (euro 257.32 million).
Mr Ogunlewe disclosed that there are 36 ongoing federal projects with 70 percent completion while mandatory advance payment necessary for work to continue on some other crucial on-going projects are yet to be made by the federal government of Nigeria.
The projects affected included Owerri-Onitsha road dualisation, construction of Kaduna Eastern Bypass, construction of Bodo-Bonny road, construction of Itigidi Bridge and Funtua-Dayi-Yasha-KNSB road.
Also highway maintenance is to be improved. The Minister of Works earlier this month had tasked state controllers of works in the 36 states of the Nigerian federation to embark on road maintenance in their states. If not, Senator Ogunlewe said two weeks ago, the responsible ones at local authorities would be dismissed.
The Abuja government earlier this month had allocated considerable amounts to the controllers of all Nigerian states - between naira 10 and 20 million and (euro 60,000 to 120,000) to each state. Mr Ogunlewe did not hide his dissatisfaction with maintenance work done by some state controllers so far.
Nigerian's road network was said to rank among the best in the world only some 20 years ago. Very poor maintenance, increased traffic and population and poor highway construction budget however have led to a certain decay of the national road network.
According to Minister Ogunlewe, lack of road maintenance by previous administrations has by now led to an almost complete collapse of the federal road infrastructure, which has further been compounded by inadequate funding of highway capital projects. These negative trends, promises the Minister, are now to be turned around.
afrol News - It is called "financial inclusion", and it is a key government policy in Rwanda. The goal is that, by 2020, 90 percent of the population is to have and actively use bank accounts. And in only four years, financial inclusion has doubled in Rwanda.
afrol News - The UN's humanitarian agencies now warn about a devastating famine in Sudan and especially in South Sudan, where the situation is said to be "imploding". Relief officials are appealing to donors to urgently fund life-saving activities in the two countries.
afrol News - Fear is spreading all over West Africa after the health ministry in Guinea confirmed the first Ebola outbreak in this part of Africa. According to official numbers, at least 86 are infected and 59 are dead as a result of this very contagious disease.
afrol News - It is already a crime being homosexual in Ethiopia, but parliament is now making sure the anti-gay laws will be applied in practical life. No pardoning of gays will be allowed in future, but activist fear this only is a signal of further repression being prepared.
afrol News / Africa Renewal - Ethiopia's ambitious plan to build a US$ 4.2 billion dam in the Benishangul-Gumuz region, 40 km from its border with Sudan, is expected to provide 6,000 megawatts of electricity, enough for its population plus some excess it can sell to neighbouring countries.
front page
| news
| countries
| archive
| currencies
| news alerts login
| about afrol News
| contact
| advertise
| español