The change of scope for the rehabilitation of the Abuja- Kaduna-Kano expressway has gotten the approval of the Federal Executive Council (FEC).
President Muhammadu Buhari, who chaired the council on Wednesday, consequently adjusted the N155 billion initially approved for the rehabilitation to N797.2 billion for the proposed brand new 375-kilometer highway.
Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, while chatting with the media after the meeting, said: “I presented on behalf of the Ministry of Works and Housing, one memorandum and one report.
“The memo was with respect to the Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria- Kano highway, which was to change the scope of works from rehabilitation previously awarded because many parts of the pavement had deteriorated, to full reconstruction of two lanes on both sides.
“The Council considered and approved the request for that change of scope and the incidental cost consequence changing the existing contract for N155 billion to N797.236 billion to provide for full reconstruction of the main carriage way, trailer parks, weigh bridges, toll stations and additional side lanes in the built-up areas across the FCT, Niger, Kaduna and Kano states, which are all served by the road and this was approved by Council for the same contractor.”
Speaking further, Fashola said roads already rehabilitated and awaiting handover to the government include Benin-Asaba, Abuja-Lokoja, Kano-Katsina, Onitsha-Aba, Sagamu- Benin, Kano-Maiduguri, Enugu-Port Harcourt, Ilorin-Jebba and Lagos-Badagary.
Fashola also spoke on the expected time of completion of the Abuja-Kano highway,
He said: “We are dealing with 375 kilometres of roads. So the completion is going to be in phases. The first phase will be the Kaduna-Zaria section, which is 74 kilometres; that will be in quarter four of 2022.
“The next phase B the Zaria-Kano section, which is 137 kilometres, that should be quarter one of 2023. And the last phase will be the Abuja–Kaduna section which should be in quarter two of 2023.”
In his remarks, the Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, disclosed that the Council approved the sum of N10,436,375,340.96 for the procurement of fire fighting vehicles and equipment for the Federal Fire Service.
According to him, the contract covered about 79 fire-fighting equipment consisting of the supply of 15 water tankers, 15 rapid intervention fire engines that can go into any nook and cranny to respond to distressed calls and the supply of 20 basic life support ambulances.
