The Federal Executive Council has approved the change of scope for the construction of the Abuja-Kaduna-Kano highway.
Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola disclosed this while briefing Journalists at the end of the weekly cabinet meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari.
He said the road, hitherto undergoing renovation, would now be completely reconstructed, thus changing the existing cost of the project from N155 Billion to N797.2 Billion.
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 form rehabilitation previously awarded because many parts of the pavement had deteriorated, to full reconstruction of two lanes on both sides.
“The council considered and approve 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 council for the same contractor.”
The Minister said he also presented a report to the council on the progress of the Highway Development Management Initiative, which allows the private sector to invest in road rehabilitation, adding that soon 12 roads completed under the scheme would soon be handed over.
He listed the roads 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.
Zainab Sa’id
