Ogun Finally Gets Nod From FG To Fix, Toll Deplorable Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway

By: JP Ashedzi

After long years of complaints by motorists and travellers about the deplorable state of the Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway, the Ogun State Government has gotten approval to fix and toll the road.

The Minister of Works, David Umahi, revealed that the Federal Government has finally given approval to the Ogun State government on Monday during a briefing after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting at the Aso Villa.

After Monday’s FEC meeting, the minister explained that the project would be carried out under the Highway Development and Management Initiative (HDMI), adding that the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC) and the Federal Ministry of Finance would be involved in the process.

“On permission to build federal roads, when such requests are made, we give approval within 24 hours but then there are conditions to be met – they must have to use the Federal Ministry of Works standard designs,” Umahi said.

“Under HDMI, when they (state governments) finish the roads, they have to toll it. There is a maximum number of years they have to toll it, recoup their money and then the funds will have to start coming into Federation Account and that is why we are very much interested in how much the road is going to cost and to adopt the standard procedure in road construction and design. This is very important.

“An example of this system — HDMI – was the approval of Lagos-Otta-Abeokuta today (Monday) for Ogun State Government to build and toll.”