The Minister of Works, David Umahi, has revealed that the Federal Government will start tolling all major roads. This is even as most of the road are undergoing construction and renovation.
Umahi made this disclosure on Thursday in Abuja during the Inter-Ministerial Press Briefing. The event was part of activities to mark Nigeria’s 64th Independence Anniversary.
Speaking on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, the Minister said, “We have the Lagos-Ibadan (Expressway), we are completing it and we are tolling it.”
Umahi listed some of the roads that would be tolled as the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway and Second Niger Bridge. He also listed the Abuja-Kano Road, Makurdi-9th Mile, among others.
Speaking on the reintroduction of tolling on the Federal Highways, the Minister said the tolling “is going to bring a lot of money to the Federal Government.”
“Private sector members have been engaged “to bring in funds and construct these roads. They are to work with the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission and the Ministry of Works to toll these roads,” he said.
“The Government would start with the Keffi-Makurdi Road that has been completed.”
He noted that his ministry has been engaging with the Ministry of Finance for a paperless mode of payment of the tolling.
“For example, we are completing the Lagos-Ibadan. We are working on Makurdi to 9th Mile in Enugu State and we are working from Abuja to Lagos. These roads are going to be tolled. But we are not just tolling them, we are bringing confidence in the use of these roads.
“People can travel at night because we are bringing security and where the response time will be 10 minutes on the entire corridor. And you have solar light permanently there and then reduce travel time. And through the tolling, the roads are maintained. Then, there will be confidence because Nigerians will pay if the roads are good,” Umahi said.
According to the Minister, before now, road developments have not been handled as investments. But the administration of President Bola Tinubu has been handling road developments more professionally.
Umahi added that the present administration inherited a total of 300 damaged roads and bridges across the country. He, however, emphasized that more road constructions would commence from October 1, 2024, across the six geopolitical zones of the country.
source: Channels TV
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