FG’s bid for concrete roads to spike CapEx amid N10tr owed contractors

 Oladipo tope tayo 

• Materials to spike variation cost by 50% 
• Operatives rue increase in cement cost, ripple effects in housing sector
• Return to site or face revocation, FG orders contractors, as Tinubu backs Umahi on use of concrete

The Federal Government’s budget for road infrastructure may double if the authorities dump asphalt pavement for concrete road technology. This is contrary to estimation that the adoption of the construction technology will reduce the cost of road projects in the short run, according to an investigation by The Guardian.

he Minister of Works, David Umahi, had recently directed all contractors handling Federal Government highways across the country to consider making a choice between using asphalt pavements or adopting concrete technology

The minister directed contractors handling major projects to meet with engineers in the ministry to redesign some of the ongoing road projects in line with the requirements of concrete technology.

Although there has been a policy guide on concrete road construction, it has not been massively deployed for roads in the country. Road construction across the country has been largely asphalt-based since independence but the advent of concrete technology offered new methodology for road development that may stand the test of time. . 

Yesterday, the Federal Government handed contractors handling abandoned roads projects a 14-day ultimatum to return to site or face revocation of the contracts. The government also threatened to drag contractors allegedly mounting a gang up against the use of concrete for road construction to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other related offences (ICPC) among others.

The Minister of Works, Umahi spoke after he met behind closed-doors with President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. The Minister, who said he will not succumb to the gang-up and blackmail from contractors, explained that he has the backing of President Tinubu on the use of concrete in reinforcement.

Briefing newsmen, Umahi said that some contractors have keyed into the policy just as major cement producers have agreed to discount prices for such government road builders. He also highlighted the advantages of cement roads over asphalt/bitumen, including cheaper costs, just as he iterated the need to encourage local production of cement against importation of bitumen.

Umahi further warned contractors against the dodgy attitude of securing about 20 projects but end up deploying as few as two units of equipment to site. He said, “There are some elements within that are also fighting me, who are also benefitting from the system and that is the greatest problem we have and I just pretended. I will flush those elements out and send them to ICPC to handle them because nobody can hold this country to ransom.”

Within the period of 24 years over N2.4 trillion has reportedly been spent on road construction. The sum of N301.8b was allocated for road construction in 2016, N347.5 billion in 2017, N159.5b in 2018, N262b in 2019, N315.5b in 2020 for works and housing, N241.864b in 2021, N280 billion for road infrastructure in 2022 and N356b for both works and housing out of which N321b was budgeted for capital projects in 2023

Despite the spending, debts for payments for road contracts are mounting. The present administration owes contractors about N14 trillion for 2,604 roads of 18,000 kilometres, which was inherited from the last administration, there are fears that the budget for road infrastructure may double.

  The Minister of works, David Umahi, explained that since assuming office, the ministry has paid N4 trillion of the N14 trillion owed to contractors constructing various road projects nationwide. Umahi said: “Between when we came on board and now, about N4tn has been paid. And so that is a balance of N10tn remaining.

 The traditional asphalt pavement roads construction methodology consists of sand, and bitumen; where bitumen acts as a liquid binding material that holds asphalt together.

The asphalt roads last about 15 to 20 years on average, requiring more frequent maintenance, replacement and are often not environment-friendly, while concrete road utilises cement as binding material, composed of lime, rods, silica, alumina, and gypsum, which are mixed with sand, aggregate and water.

Concrete roads come in different kinds depending on the load to be put on it. It can be unreinforced, reinforced concrete and continuously reinforced. Essentially, the type of load to be put on a road determines the type of concrete design specification to deploy.

Checks by The Guardian show that concrete roads are eco-friendlier than asphalt roads. The smoother surface texture of concrete paving reduces rolling resistance compared to rougher asphalt, improving fuel economy by two to five per cent for each vehicle. Concrete roads last between 25 and 30 years without the need for major reconstruction work or repair and lifespan of between 50 to 100 years, which is two to four times longer than asphalt pavement. 

Checks by The Guardian show that concrete roads are eco-friendlier than asphalt roads. The smoother surface texture of concrete paving reduces rolling resistance compared to rougher asphalt, improving fuel economy by two to five per cent for each vehicle. Concrete roads last between 25 and 30 years without the need for major reconstruction work or repair and lifespan of between 50 to 100 years, which is two to four times longer than asphalt pavement. 

Checks by The Guardian show that concrete roads are eco-friendlier than asphalt roads. The smoother surface texture of concrete paving reduces rolling resistance compared to rougher asphalt, improving fuel economy by two to five per cent for each vehicle. Concrete roads last between 25 and 30 years without the need for major reconstruction work or repair and lifespan of between 50 to 100 years, which is two to four times longer than asphalt pavement.

Investigations revealed that concrete roads could cost an average of 50 per cent more than asphalt; making concrete a better value for money, while asphalt can run about $4 to $6 per square foot. Concrete road technology is usually the most expensive option initially as it can cost about two to three times as much as asphalt and about six times the gravel cost, estimated at about $5 to $10 per square foot.

  The Guardian found out that the initial cost of one kilometre length of concrete road can be as high as N59, 181,594.70 per kilometer, while that of asphalt road is N49, 766,822.68 per kilometre. Asphalt pavement is less by about N9, 414,772.02 per kilometre.

With the new government’s disposition to concrete road technology, it was gathered that some of the ongoing federal highway projects might be suspended in line with the directive. 

 Essentially, the Benin-Warri dual carriageway and Benin-Sapele sections 1 to 3 in Delta State, Maraba-Keffi road expansion in Nasarawa State, and Minna-Zungeru-Regina-Kontagora road in Niger State and other projects are been considered for application of concrete technology.

 Some of Nigeria’s major construction firms including Julius Berger Nigeria Plc, CCECC Nigeria Limited, Dangote Cement Plc, HITECH construction company, TEC Engineering Company Nigeria Limited, China Harbour Engineering Company, Gilmour Engineering Nigeria Limited, CBC Global Civil & Building Construction, Setraco Nigeria Limited, Decency Associates Limited, and Zephrygold International Limited handling major highway projects have invested heavily in asphalt technology. 

                 Culled from  the guardian news