The House of Representatives Committee on Works has urged that the expansion of the 5.4km Abuja-Keffi Expressway and Dualization of the Keffi-Akwanga-Lafia-Makurdi Road Project embarked on by the Nigerian and Chinese Governments be delivered in within the stipulated time in April 2023.
The Committee Chairman, Abubakar Kabir Abubakar, said this when he led his members on an oversight of projects, which has an entire length of 454 km and handled by the China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC).
Abubakar said the project was an important one as it connects Abuja to Nasarawa and Benue States, all the way to Enugu State.
He said the project, which cost about $542 million, is counter-funded by the China Exim Bank as well as the Chinese and Nigerian Governments.
He said the Chinese were contributing 85 percent of the funding, while Nigeria completed the remaining 15 percent.
The Committee Chairman urged that there must be no compromise on the quality of the job that would be delivered at the end of the project.
“There should be no compromise in terms of quality, standard and time delivery,” he said.
Read Also; Reps summon PENCOM DG as agency remits N1b out of N20.7b revenue in 2021
The Ministry of Works assured that the project would be delivered within the stipulated time.
An official of the Road Sector Development Team of the Ministry, Engr Henry Usor, said so far the project had achieved about 72 percent completion.
“The job would be completed in record time, going by the progress we have achieved so far. I believe we should be able to complete it by the time we come to the end of the project duration in April 2023,” Usor stated.
He said when completed, the road would cut down travel time and reduce accidents.
“When completed, it would have a lot of advantages.If you are moving from Abuja to the southeast and southern part of the country, this would be a better option for you to take through,” he said.
He said the project was awarded in 2017 but work started in 2019, because of its engineering, procurement and construction component.
“So you award and do the procurement and do the design and then before you start the actual physical construction,” he said.
He assured that before the road would be handed over for usage next year in good condition.
The Project Manager, Li Qaingqiang, also assured the project would be completed in April 2023.
He said that when the road is completed it will greatly reduce the accident rate and create safe travel conditions for residents along the route.
He added that the project will create at least 3,000 jobs, which is conducive to stimulating investment and consumption alongside the project.
“We are targeting to complete the project by April 2023 with sufficient budget allocation next year and we would ensure the road is in proper condition before it is handed over, ” he said.