Tolls return imminent as 12 highways set for concession

The Federal Government will this Friday receive the Outline Business Case Certificate of Compliance for 12 pilot federal highways billed for concession.
The concession of the roads may also signify the return of toll gates as concessionaires will have to recoup their investments.

It was learned from the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing in Abuja that the 12 roads were under the ministry’s Highway Development Management Initiative.

Our correspondent gathered that the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission would hand over the certificate to the ministry today at the FMWH headquarters in Abuja.

It was further gathered that the 12 highways combined represent about 1,963km and less than 5.6 percent of Nigeria’s 35,000km federal highway network.

The 12 routes of the pilot phase include Benin-Asaba, Abuja-Lokoja, Kano-Katsina, Onitsha-Owerri, Shagamu-Benin, and Abuja-Keffi-Akwanga.

Others include Kano-Shuari and Potiskum-Damaturu, Lokoja-Benin, Enugu-Port Harcourt, Ilorin-Jebba, Lagos-Ota-Abeokuta, and Lagos-Badagry-Seme border.

A document on the objectives of the HDMI stated that the initiative would attract sustainable investment/funding in the development of road infrastructure.

It said the HDMI would maximize the use of assets along the right-of-way and develop other highway furniture.