The Nigerian government has commenced cashless tolling operations on the Abuja-Akwanga-Lafia-Makurdi expressway in the northcentral region as part of efforts to enhance efficiency and transparency in toll collection.
As part of the initiative, the government is offering a 50% discount on toll fares for commercial light-weight vehicles. Additionally, authorised vehicles, pedal vehicles, tricycles, motorcycles, and other two- or three-wheeled transport modes are fully exempt from toll charges.
The Minister of Works, Mr. David Umahi, announced these measures during the official launch of the tolling operations, emphasising the government’s commitment to modernising road infrastructure and easing transportation costs for commuters.
The Minister, who was represented by the Minister of State, Works, Mr Bello Goronyo, said the concessions of this road corridor are the first and will spread to the other six geopolitical regions of Nigeria.
“These are the first among the nine corridors being concessioned under the Highways Development and Management Initiative Phase I to commence operations. In the coming months, the Federal Government will continue with the launching and operationalisation of the remaining ones located across the six geopolitical zones of this country.”
The Minister further explained that the money obtained from the toll would be used to pay back the loan gotten from China Ex-Im Bank for the road’s rehabilitation.
“It is to be recalled that the Federal Government of Nigeria rehabilitated and upgraded the roads through the preferential credit loan from China Ex-Im Bank. The loan agreement provided, among other things, that upon completion, the road will be tolled, operated, and maintained by a private party, and that revenue collected from the operation shall be preferentially used for the loan repayment to the China Ex-Im Bank.
“Consequently, the Ministry, under the previous administration in 2023, executed a 25-year toll of wages and maintained a concession agreement with MESA’s China Harbour Operations and Maintenance Company Limited, in partnership with MESA’s Catamaran Nigeria Limited, under the Highways Development and Management Initiative Phase I,” the Minister said.
The toll charges are as follows:
Saloon cars would be tolled for N500, SUVs-Jeeps N800, minibuses/light vehicles N1000, and multi-axle vehicles, trucks, and buses will pay N1600.
According to Mr Rai Are, the Managing Director of Catamaran, the company managing the tolling operations, they would ensure ease of payment by providing several electronic payment options.
The Governor of Nasarawa State, Abdullahi Sule, pointed out the benefits of tolling to society.
“We need to encourage the people. We need to get the buy-in of the people. Because the effects of this are multiple. Security is guaranteed, our vehicles will last longer, accidents will be less, and the economy will develop. Because at these tollgates, economies will come up. Shops, sales, and all that will come up.
“Therefore, the multiple effects of this will only be imagined. I only want to advise that these resources that will be generated from these tollgates will be put to proper use,” he said.
He further urged the Ministry of Works to rehabilitate the Doma-Gwagwalada highway.
The Director General of the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission, ICRC, Dr Jobson Ewalefoh said that the ICRC as the PPP regulator, confirms that the project conforms with the ICRC Act.
Also in attendance with goodwill messages were representatives from the Senate, Federal Road Safety, Ministry of Environment and MESA’s China Harbour Operations.
Comments are closed.