Dangote: Why concrete is better option for road construction

In Nigeria, roads infrastructure is a major wheel in the economic progress but, unfortunately, well over 95 percent of both federal and state roads in the country were built with asphalt which is why majority of them are in deplorable condition after years of wear and tear without proper maintenance.

The economic and health costs of this to the country is so enormous that Aliko Dangote, President/CEO, Dangote Group and Africa’s richest man, estimates that the country loses $1billion annually to poor condition of the roads.

Road failure is a major infrastructural challenge in this country, hence the need for a lasting solution which has been provided by the use of concrete as a viable, durable and cost-effective alternative.  “Our decision to introduce concrete roads was borne out of a desire to find cost-effective and lasting solution to one of the infrastructural challenges facing this country”, Dangote revealed in Ogun State at the weekend.

The business mogul, who spoke at the commissioning and handing over of the 26-kilometre Itori-Ibeshe Road constructed with concrete by AG Dangote Limited, noted that concrete has been used successfully in other countries of the world like the popular Marine Drive in Mumbai, India which was built in 1939 with concrete and it is still performing satisfactorily after almost 80years in operation. “That is why we are venturing into the construction of concrete roads”, he emphasized.

He assured that his company would continue to invest in Nigeria to fast track economic development, adding that plans were in the pipeline to construct more concrete roads and also conclude ongoing projects. “We will soon embark on the building of more concrete roads in other states of the federation including Lagos, Bauchi, Kogi and Kaduna. Within the next 18 months, we hope to complete the Ijora-Wharf Road in Lagos and bring succour to Lagosians,” he assured further.

Ashif Juma, Managing Director, AG-Dangote, provided more insights into concrete roads as an unrivalled alternative to asphalt, saying, “concrete roads today are less expensive, easy to maintain and last longer than asphalt roads. No other paving material approaches concrete’s strength and durability in standing to heavy usage and truck traffic; concrete lasts longer, without any need for restructuring, patching or surface sealing”.

For an infrastructure that can stand the test of time while remaining financially viable, Juma believes that concrete is the answer for Nigerian roads, disclosing that  60 percent of the main routes in the United States and Austria are made of concrete, while Germany and Canada have 30 percent each.

In South Africa, he added, the figure is now 10 percent, hoping that “Nigerian users stand to benefit from this in the long run. I hope Nigerians will fully emabrace concrete roads with all the benefits to be derived,” he added.

Babatunde Fashola, Nigeria’s Minister for Works, Power and Housing who commissioned the road project informed that the federal government had opened bids on infrastructural projects under the purview of his ministries, adding that private investor operators that were ready to fix the country’s infrastructure deficit through Public Private Partnership (PPP) were welcome.

“It has dawned on government that infrastructure deficit would be effectively fixed and financed only in partnership with private sector”, he said, pointing out that there were concessions and incentives available for would-be partners on public infrastructure projects and revealed that Nigeria, for the first time in the 2016 budget, voted 30 percent of the total budget for capital projects as the three ministries he oversees got N100 billion as against N24.8 billion received in 2015 budget.

The minister disclosed that documents on the 42.5km Obajana-Kabba Road project, estimated to cost N11.5 billion for which federal government had granted Dangote Industries Limited a tax waiver estimated at N5.6 billion over five years, were ready for collection at Federal Ministry of Works, Power and Housing in Abuja.

Ibikunle Amosun, the Ogun State governor, commended Dangote Industries Limited for the laudable initiative, pledged his administration’s unwavering commitment to industrialization in the state and reassured that his administration would continue to provide enabling environment for Dangote and other investors to thrive in the state.