Major construction projects ongoing despite 2019 budget delay — Berger

…How N169.74bn contracts will restore Nigeria’s road network Construction giant, Julius Berger Nigeria Plc, has said the delayed 2019 budget will not stop work on construction projects it is executing for the Federal Government. The Managing Director of the company, Dr. Lars Richter, who stated this during the company’s investors’ forum held in Lagos Thursday, […]

• …How N169.74bn contracts will restore Nigeria’s road network

Construction giant, Julius Berger Nigeria Plc, has said the delayed 2019 budget will not stop work on construction projects it is executing for the Federal Government.

The Managing Director of the company, Dr. Lars Richter, who stated this during the company’s investors’ forum held in Lagos Thursday, attributed the continuous pace of work on construction sites for Federal Government projects to the Presidential Infrastructure Development Fund (PIDF).

Richter who was represented by the firm’s Financial Director, Mr. Martin Brack, said the money used to execute Federal Government projects like the Second Niger Bridge, Abuja Kaduna-Zaria-Kano Road and Lagos-Shagamu Expressway were independently released from PIDF.

He said the initiative had saved the ongoing projects from delay even though the 2019 budget is yet to be signed.

“The roads are financed independently from the PIDF, which is a fund that is getting money from private investors also.

“This money is available and we are working day and night and there is regular payment. And we are doing our work the way we want it, not as to wait for the budget’s release,” he said.

While giving an update on some of the projects, Richter said the company was making record progress at the second Niger Bridge project site since the short time the company had been awarded the main contract for the work.

On the Lagos-Shagamu Expressway, Richter said since the resumption of work, a steady pace of progress was the reality.

“Considering that the expressway is now financed via the PIFD, we presume that we will be able to achieve an uninterrupted pace of work with the new funding structure,” he said, adding that the Bodo-Bonny Road and the Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano Road were moving at a faster pace.

Meanwhile, following the recent approval by the Federal Executive Council (FEC) of the award of N169.74bn contracts for the construction and rehabilitation of 10 roads across the country, the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, said the projects would enhance the government’s objective of restoring the nation’s road network as part of implementation of the Federal Government’s Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP).

The FEC approval which was sequel to a memorandum presented to the council by the minister on May 2, covers the rehabilitation of the Umuahia (Ikwuano)-Ikot Ekpene Road, Umuahia, Umudike in Abia State, rehabilitation of Calabar-Oban-Ekang Road (Section 1) in Cross River State, construction of Yola-Fufore-Gurin Road in Adamawa State, rehabilitation of Ado-Ekiti –Igede-Aramoko-Itawure Road in Ekiti State and rehabilitation of Funtua-Dandume-Kaduna State Border Road in Katsina State.

Others, according to the memorandum, are the rehabilitation of Makurdi-Gboko-Katsina-Ala Road (Yandev-Katsina-Ala Section) in Benue State, rehabilitation of Old Enugu-Onitsha Road (Opi Junction-Ukehe-Okpatu-Aboh Udi-Oji to Anambra Border), rehabilitation and dualisation of the 74km Aba-Ikot Ekpene Road in Abia/Akwa Ibom States, construction of four-kilometre township road in Gaya Local Government Area of Kano State and rehabilitation of Billiri-Filiya-Taraba State Border Road in Gombe State.

While the Umuahia (Ikwuano)-Ikot Ekpene Road was awarded to Messrs Hartland Nigeria Limited/Raycon and Company Nigeria Limited in the sum of N13.2bn with a completion date of 48 months, the rehabilitation of Calabar-Oban-Ekang Road (Section 1) in Cross River State was awarded to Messrs Setraco Nigeria Limited in the sum of N27.7bn with a completion date of 24 months.

The construction of Yola-Furore-Gurin Road was awarded to Messrs Wiz China Worldwide Engineering Limited in the sum of N13.6bn with a completion date of 12 months.

The rehabilitation of Ado-Ekiti–Igede-Aramoko-Itawure Road in Ekiti State, according to the memorandum, was awarded to Messrs Deux Projects Limited/Hitech Construction Company Limited at N14.8bn with a completion period of 30 months, while the rehabilitation of Funtua-Dandume-Kaduna State Border Road in Katsina State was awarded to Messrs Rabash Enterprises Nigeria Limited/Afdin Construction Limited in the sum of N9.8bn with a completion period of 24 months.

The memorandum also shows that while Messrs Rockbridge Construction Limited will rehabilitate the 43Km Makurdi-Gboko-Katsina-Ala Road (Yandev-Katsina-Ala Section) in 24 months at the cost of N11.8bn, Messrs Arab Contractors O.A.O Nigeria Limited will rehabilitate Old Enugu-Onitsha Road (Opi Junction-Ukehe-Okpatu-Aboh Udi-Oji to Anambra Border), (approximately 90Km, in 24 months at the cost of N31.9bn, and Messrs CGGC Global Project will rehabilitate and dualise the Aba-Ikot Ekpene Road in 24 months at the cost of N30,649,735,111.38.

Also included in the award are the construction of a 4-kilometre township road in Gaya Local Government Area of Kano State by Messrs Birak Engineering and Construction Company Limited in the sum of N1.7bn with a completion period of 12 months, and the rehabilitation of Billiri-Filiya-Taraba State Border Road by Messrs Triacta Nigeria Limited to be completed within 24 months in the sum of N14bn.

Fashola said the ministry decided to initiate the new roads reconstruction and rehabilitation to open up settlements, provide access for evacuation of goods and services, as well as improve the socio-economic lives of the people within the stretch of the different communities in the projects’ areas.