The biting economic realities, in the face of high exchange rate, has led to calls for a rethink in government spending, especially in the provision of critical infrastructure like road. With dwindling revenue, and continued calls for investment in the road sector, experts and stakeholders are clamouring for a more effective way of building the infrastructure, which is very germane to economic development.
It was, therefore, instructive when Head, Road Segment, Lafarge Africa Plc, Mr. Femi Yusuf, urged the stakeholders to begin to think of how to make roads last longer. One of the ways he identified in achieving this is for the country to start embracing concrete roads.
“Flexible pavement in the form of asphalt paved road makes up more than 99.9 per cent of all paved roads in Nigeria today, and with the massive investment in the cost of maintenance, repair and reconstruction of these roads, a shift to a more sustainable alternative is inevitable,” noted Yusuf.
His position may not be faulted. In 2014, the country was estimated to have lost N300 billion to bitumen importation. In 2015, the budget for the Federal Ministry of Works was N100 billion, but a meagre N11 billion was approved for the ministry. This was at a time the country was said to require a minimum yearly investment of N600 billion to meet the Vision 20.20.20 for road and road infrastructural development, and increase paved roads from 65,000km to 200,000km. This cost is exclusive of the maintenance cost for existing roads, and planned road construction. This is because in the same period (2015) there was zero allocation to the Federal Emergency Road Management Authority (FERMA). This is the sorry state of the Nigerian asphalt roads and the drain it is constituting on government revenue.
With the country’s combined cement production capacity hitting 32 million metric tonnes (MMT) per annum, and Lafarge Africa’s Ewekoro Plants I and II accounting for about 4.5 mmt of this, experts argue that it is enough reason for the country to consider the cement alternative in road construction. Their argument is that with a massive local cement production capacity, the comparative cost advantage factor will eventually set in, thus making it economical over asphalt roads. The average cost of paving a meter square of road at 50mm thickness for asphalt is put at N5, 493. 07k, compared with a 150mm thick concrete, which is said to be at three per cent less.
Yusuf disclosed that to show the reality of the comparative advantage of cement road over asphalt, Lafarge Africa Plc is involved in the construction of two roads at Cross River and Gombe states. The construction of a 20-Kilometer (km) road linking the Oban road (Calabar – Cameroon link road) at Mfamosing to Odukpani on Katsina-Ala road (Calabar – Katsina-Ala). In the phase 1 of the rigid pavement construction, the first portion of the road, which is 10km, he explained, is paved with concrete, while in the phase 2, the remaining 10km will also be concrete. Lafarge, he explained, is also constructing an eight kilometre concrete road in Maiganga, Gombe State.
“We are not only advocating the usage of concrete in the construction of pavement for roads but also adopting the same because of the sustainability and much lower maintenance,” Yusuf said, adding that rigid pavement is no more an alternative, but the best choice in sustainable road development, which will see real values in terms of increase in the volume of paved road with less need for huge annual budgetary allocation for road maintenance cost.
He further revealed that the country already has the product, methodology and manpower to construct more of concrete roads. Consequently, Lafarge Africa, Yusuf disclosed, is working on partnering the Ministry of Power, Works and Housing, the Nigerian Building and Road Research Institute and financial institutions on the way forward.
Yusuf listed the advantages of concrete roads to include longer life with less need for maintenance and repair, because concrete is not susceptible to deformation arising from daily temperature cycle variation, which leads to rut under heavy vehicular loading. “This makes it port-hole proof, hence needing minimal maintenance over the pavement life cycle, which is three times that of a comparable flexible pavement,”he said.
Other advantages include provision of a better rolling resistance for heavy trucks due to non-deflection under loading because of the pavement rigidity, thereby reducing energy consumption by as much as 20 per cent. Better long time performance also means fewer interruption and lower cost; resistant to oil and lubricant damage; reflection of more light; recyclable and 100 per cent reusable.
Yusuf said Nigeria has to take a cue from other developed countries that have succeeded in road construction process. For instance, according to the United States Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), about 60 per cent of the United States interstate road system is concrete. This is due to the anticipation of heavy traffic load, which concrete is better at withstanding and because of its rigid nature, which can withstand heavy loading without noticeable deformation unlike asphalt whose continuous deformation ends up with ruts and pot holes, which require constant maintenance.
