Aliko Dangote, the president of Dangote Industries Limited, has pushed the federal government to replace asphalt roads with concrete ones.
Speaking on Sunday during President Bola Tinubu’s commissioning of the Apapa-Oworonshoki road in Lagos, the business tycoon stated that concrete roads are “easier to build and maintain” and that asphalt should be rejected.
He said, “The Apapa-Oworonshoki road will be a catalyst for economic development, creating employment opportunities during and after construction. It has also permitted the accumulation of experience in building concrete roads in Nigeria.
“Indeed, given the huge cost savings achieved in this project vis-à-vis Nigerian road terrain, it is recommended that the Federal Ministry of Works gives serious consideration to stipulating the replacement of Nigeria’s asphalt road networks with easier-to-build and maintain concrete roads with a 100 per cent local inputs.”
Speaking further, Dangote noted that Apapa-Oworonshoki road is a critical artery that connects various markets to the Nigerian ports and other key economic centres.
This, he said, informed the motivation to leverage Executive Order 007 on Road Infrastructure Development and Refurbishment Investment Tax Credit Scheme to reconstruct the road. According to him, the Dangote Group has been able to mobilise capital for the complete refurbishment of the entire 37-kilometre length of Apapa-Isolo-Oworonshoki road and its expansion to 10 lanes.
He added, “Executive Order 007 created the right framework for public-private partnerships in the development of road infrastructure projects that have a measurable economic impact.
“This innovative public-private partnership framework has enabled the government to provide a vital infrastructure service without going through several budget cycles involving invariable delays in project delivery and inevitable cost escalations.”
He further stated that the Dangote Group considers the project as Corporate Social Responsibility, and has so far recouped only 40 per cent of the investments made.
“We believe that a more commercial interest rate recovery should be allowed given the high cost of capital in the Nigerian fiscal environment,” he said.
Meanwhile, in a statement made available to The PUNCH, the Dangote Group said that President Bola Tinubu has commended the President of Dangote Industries Limited, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, for his selflessness in actualising the project.
Tinubu, represented by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, said the reconstruction of 37-kilometer road, which commenced in 2018 by the former administration and completed in 2024, is a win for all Nigerians.
He said, “Lagos is home to all, I thank Aliko Dangote for coming up with this initiative and in partnership with HiTech have delivered the Tenth Wonder of The World.
“Lagos is not the only state experiencing growth and development under the renewed hope agenda. I also congratulate the Minister of Works David Umahi for his passionate commitment to structural development across Nigeria.”
For many years, before the reconstruction work commenced in December 2018, the Apapa- Isolo-Oworonshoki road had been in a poor and sub-optimal state with several failed and collapsed sections.
This severely hampered the evacuation of goods and restricted access to markets, paralysing the shipping and manufacturing industries and disrupting supply chains across the entire economic landscape.
The implication was that companies suffered increased logistics costs which were ultimately passed on to the consumers.
