The Federal Controller of Works in Lagos, Mr. Olukayode Popoola, has disclosed that his ministry is fine tuning modalities for the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to mobilize funding for the Badagry expressway project in Lagos.
Popoola said the highway would henceforth get a lot of attention following NNPC’s involvement in the project under Federal Government’s Tax Credit Scheme.
“Lagos-Badagry expressway project is part of the projects NNPC is funding under the Tax Credit Scheme among the 21 roads selected nationwide.
“So, it is going to receive a lot of attention more than what it has been receiving before,” Popoola said in Lagos.
He explained that the funds were already available but that NNPC is perfecting documentation towards mobilising fully to site.
NNPC Towers, Abuja
“In a couple of days, we should be done with documentation. This month, give us like another one week more, NNPC funds will be on the road, you will see the effect in a week’s time.
“The contractors are on site and have never left, so if this fund comes now, it is another way of strengthening them and they will move faster,” he said.
According to him, the construction would be evaluated the same way the SUKUK funds were monitored for monies to be released based on valuation of the actual construction done on the site per time.
He, however, declined comment on the total sum voted for the highway because he did not have the figures handy.
Lagos State government is responsible for the Iganmu-Okokomaiko section of the highway, while FERMA is handling Okokomaiko-Agbara axis of the road.
Also, the Federal government had on October 24, 2018 awarded the reconstruction of the 46km Agbara-Seme section of Badagry expressway to CGC Nigeria Limited at a sum of N63.2 billion.
Also speaking on Lagos-Ibadan Expressway project, the controller said on section one which spans from Ojota in Lagos to Sagamu interchange, being handled by Julius Berger has reached final layer on 37 out of 44 kms.
“So, we have less than 8kms of the carriageway to complete, so, tentatively, we are still completing that project as the minister said, next year, 2022, say June,” he said.
-NAN