Tolls to return on federal roads, as gov’t concessions highways

It appears toll gates will return to federal roads, as the central government has concluded plans to concession 10 major highways in the country.

Minister of Works, Babatunde Fashola, revealed this on Wednesday while outlining the details of the project to the National Assembly Joint Committee on Works.

Fashola said the project entitled, “Highway Development and Management Initiative”, was based on a private sector engagement.

The Minister said the investors would carry out the development and management of the road networks.

He explained that the private sector engagement would provide an avenue to ease problem of funds, which had slowed down roads construction and maintenance before now.

Fashola said the first phase of the project will be supported with a capital inflow of N163.323bn at a cost of about N16bn per road.

He also said about 23,322 jobs would be created in the first phase.
The roads are Benin – Asaba, Abuja – Lokoja, Kaduna – Kano, Onitsha – Owerri – Aba, Sagamu -Benin, Abuja -Keffi – Akwanga, Kano – Maiduguri, Lokoja – Benin, Enugu-Port Harcourt, Ilorin-Jebba.

The Minister also said the investors are expected to provide streetlights, toll plazas, rest areas, and weighbridge stations.