FG sets deadline for Lagos-Ibadan, Abuja-Kano expressways

The federal government has given an assurance that the Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano expressway will be delivered in 2023.

The Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, gave the assurance Thursday during the special weekly briefing organised by the pPresidential Communications Team at the state house, Abuja.

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The briefing was to enable him provide further updates on key collaborations between the federal government and the state governments in the implementation of some of the major reforms being executed by the ministry and the Presidential Infrastructure Development Fund (PIDF).

Fashola said Lagos-Ibadan Expressway and the Second Niger Bridge were on course to be completed this year, while the main carriageway of the Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano Expressway was scheduled for completion by Q2 2023, adding that ancillary works would be completed later.

He said the Second Niger Bridge, which was billed for completion last month but was delayed due to the COVID-19 lockdown and EndSARS protest, was 91 per cent.

“On the Second Niger Bridge, one of the challenges we are facing on the Anambra side of the project is the stay at home order on Mondays and every day we don’t work there is time lost,” the minister said.

Fashola put the money so far spent on the three projects at N1.3trn.

He gave the breakdown as Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano Expressway (375km)-N797b illion, Second Niger Bridge (11.59km)-N206 billion and Lagos-Ibadan Expressway (127km)-N310 billion.

The minister said the three projects were chosen based on President Buhari’s priority.

He added that thousands of jobs had been created through the execution of the three projects, as he highlighted the economic benefits of the three.

Tinubu donates N1bn leadership centre to LASU

National leader of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu, has donated a centre for leadership development worth N1 billion to the Lagos State University (LASU), Ojo.

LASU vice chancellor, Prof Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello, announced the donation at the 25th convocation lecture titled, “Global Trends: The Rightful Place of Nigerians in the World”.

Tinubu, who was represented at the event by Dr Obafemi Hamzat, deputy governor of Lagos State, urged government support for strategic industries that would employ young people and unleash their productive capacities.

He said government backing of strategic manufacturing and industries would open the door wider to youth-owned start-up businesses.

“National industrial and employment policies must jump from the pages of documents and come to real life. This will help to reform the society to improve the economic prospects of young people in it.

“We need a new more convivial way, a way that gives you the right start at a fair chance of durable prosperity.

“This is the moral duty of progressive government to resurrect a flagging economy; to do what the private sector cannot do by itself,” Tinubu said.

He added that no longer should the nation’s compass remain pointed towards poverty instead of prosperity, and towards lack instead of abundance.

At the convocation, 76 people bagged doctoral degrees while honourary doctorate awards were conferred on eminent personalities, including the governor of Kano State, Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, and his Borno State counterpart, Professor Babagana Umaru Zulum, who was represented by his deputy, Umar Usman Gadaffi.

The event was graced by important personalities and monarchs, including the Emir of Kano, Alhaji Aminu Ado Bayero, white cap chiefs and other traditional rulers.