No plan to make all Nigerian roads concrete – FG

The Federal Ministry of Works on Thursday clarified that it is not planning to adopt concrete pavements in the construction of all roads in the country.

The Director of Federal Highways, Adedamola Kuti, clarified during his presentation at a public hearing on the adoption of concrete technology for road construction in Nigeria organised by the joint House of Representatives Committee on Works, Environment, Finance, Justice and Science and Technology.

Daily Trust reports that the pronouncement by the Minister of Works, Engr David Umahi, on the planned adoption of concrete (cement) technology for road construction in the country had been generating reactions from stakeholders, hence the public hearing by the house on the matter.

Kuti explained that the decision as to whether to use rigid or concrete pavement (cement) or flexible pavement (asphalt) would depend on the terrain of such road, among other considerations.

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He noted that the decision of the federal government to adopt concrete technology in road construction was in the overriding interest of the country.

He said, “We have been doing flexible pavements; the stand of the Federal Ministry of Works is not that all ongoing projects must revert to rigid pavements. For you to decide whether it will be rigid or flexible pavements, it all depends on the terrain. But something significant has been happening recently.

“Because of the problems Nigeria has been facing as a nation, most of our projects are being augmented from time to time, especially because of the rising cost of materials, and the ministry looked at it that there was a need to look at how some of these issues would be tackled and lower the pressure on foreign exchange.”

Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, while declaring the hearing open, decried the poor condition of some major roads across the country.