REHABILITATION AND EXPANSION OF LAGOS–BADAGRY EXPRESSWAY: .... Issue Of Funding Substantially Addressed, Says Fashola

Babatunde Raji Fashola

"The Lagos-Badagry route is part of the Lagos-Abidjan highway which is about 1,048 Kilometres. It is also a very strategic investment Nigeria is making as Nigeria’s contribution to West African Trade and also for the local community." Fashola.

The Honourable Minister of Works and Housing, His Excellency, Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN, has revealed that the major problem that had delayed the pace of work on the ongoing rehabilitation and expansion of the Lagos-Badagry expressway, has been substantially addressed.

Fashola made this known while fielding questions from journalists during his working inspection tour of the ongoing rehabilitation and expansion of the project.

Oni Ibereko of  Ibereko 1, Oba Israel Adewale Okoya listening with rapt attention while the Honourable Minister of Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Raji SAN made a point of interest during the inspection visit.

According to Babatunde Raji Fashola, "the main problem on the Lagos-Badagry expressway project was always funding and budget but now, that has been substantially addressed with the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Road Infrastructure Tax Credit Scheme."

"The contractor is progressing with the project as we can see." He said.

A view of the completed portion of the Lagos Badagry Expressway project.

The Minister, in a statement issued and signed by Blessing Lere-Adams, Director of the Press and Public Relations Department of the ministry, disclosed that, "the Lagos–Badagry route is part of the Lagos–Abidjan highway which is about 1,048 Kilometres. It is also a very strategic investment Nigeria is making as Nigeria’s contribution to West African Trade and also for the local community."

Fashola, while interacting with the Oni Ibereko of Ibereko 1, Oba Israel Adewale Okoya during the inspection, urged the King to discourage some members of the communities from carting away construction materials meant for the road embankment for personal use and to also, tell his subjects in the area to stop trading by the road side.

The Minister advised the management of the Contractor handling the road project, China Geo-Engineering Corporation (CGC) Nigeria Limited, to employ more staff and get more equipment in order to speed up the progress of work on the road before the weather condition and other factors start to impede the progress on the construction work.

Speaking earlier, one of the Community Chiefs in the area, Oni Ibereko of Ibereko 1, Oba Israel Adewale Okoya, expressed the gratitude of his people to the Federal Government on the execution of the project, saying that; "the completed portion of the road has brought succor to the people. In the past, Badagry to Agbara used to be a journey of about four to five hours but the travel time is now less than 30minutes, and the contractor keeps working on the road. We are so happy. I thank President Muhammadu Buhari on behalf of our own son, Babatunde Raji Fashola."

The Oba assured the Minister that he would have meetings with his fellow chiefs and elders in the communities to ensure that the people stop trading by the road side and those carting away building materials would be handed over to the police if they failed to heed warning.