Highway engineers call for passage of road sector reform bill

Nigerian Institution of Highway Engineers (NIHE), a division of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), has called on the National Assembly to pass the proposed road sector reform bill adding that this will attract alternative sources of funding for the sector. Chairman of the institution Engr. Isa Emoabino stated this over the weekend at the […]

Nigerian Institution of Highway Engineers (NIHE), a division of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), has called on the National Assembly to pass the proposed road sector reform bill adding that this will attract alternative sources of funding for the sector.
Chairman of the institution Engr. Isa Emoabino stated this over the weekend at the institution’s 2015 annual conference and general meeting in Abuja.
Emoabino who explained “Nigeria’s requirement financing for road sector cannot be met through budgetary provisions” said alternative sources of financing are required.
The chairman who said the group had always advocated that road users be involved in the maintenance of the roads added that the support plans by the minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Raji Fashola to bring back tollgate fees is welcome.
He added that past efforts to achieve road reform agenda since the 1990s were not actualised even as the road vision 2000 which aim to create a National Road Fund, establish a National Road Board and Federal Road Authority were not implemented.
“It can be seen that there has been a catalogue of failures to reform the road sector to meet national needs and that has been largely contributory to the current poor condition of our roads network,” he said.
“The need for urgent reform is compelling as is the need to provide the essential spine or infrastructure backbone for the nation’s economic progress.
“Nigeria’s roads have suffered chronic underfunding and studies have shown that the cost of under-funding is at least thrice the amount not spent,” he added.