FEC approves N797.2bn for reconstruction of Abuja─Kaduna─Kano Highway

*Nigeria’s Minister for Works and Housing says the Federal Executive Council considered and approved request for change of scope and incidental cost consequence, changing the existing contract for N155 billion to 797.236 billion to provide for full reconstruction of Abuja─Kaduna─Kano Highway

Alexander Davis | ConsumerConnect

Nigeria’s Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved the change of scope for the construction of the Abuja─Kaduna─Kano Highway at the cost of N797.2 billion.

Mr. Babatunde Fashola, Honourable Minister for Works and Housing, stated this while briefing State House Correspondents reporters after the weekly cabinet meeting Wednesday, March 3, 2021, in Abuja, FCT.

The Minister disclosed that the road, hitherto undergoing renovation would now be completely reconstructed.

The development now changes the existing cost of the project from N155 billion to N797.2 billion, Fashola noted.

He 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.”

Abuja-Kaduna-Kano-Road   Photo: ConstructionReviewOnline

The Minister explained that “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 797.236 billion to provide for full reconstruction of the main carriageway, trailer parks, way 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 the council for the same contractor.”

Fashola also listed the roads already rehabilitated, which would soon be handed over to include Benin-Asaba, Abuja-Lokoja, Kano-Katsina, Onitsha-Aba, Sagamu-Benin, Kano-Maiduguri, Enugu- Port Harcourt, Ilorin-Jebba and Lagos-Badagary.

In regard to the exact time the Abuja-Kaduna-Kano Highway will be delivered, he said: “We are dealing with 375 kilometres of roads.

“So, the completion is going to be phased. So, 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.”