Work will finally commence next week on the Apapa Oworoshoki expressway. Chairman of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote stated this on Tuesday after the stakeholders meeting with Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo at the Presidential Villa, Abuja
BusinessDay gathered that everything including, the project design has been handed over to the conttactors.
Dangote revealed that work will start on the project adding that “will start work next week. The bidding process is going to go on where four, five contractors will bid, anybody that wins the contract we will fund the project under the agreement that we have”
Speaking on the impact the project which had caused hardship to millions of commuters using the road, will have when completed he stated that “government will be able to save a lot of money”
According to Dangote, government is right now losing as much as N10bn daily”
The road which is one of the most strategic and economically viable in Lagos, connects one of the moat busy business hubs such as the Apapa and Tin Can Island ports which handle about 80 percent of the cargo that comes into Nigeria.
” As we speak, some of our ships are waiting to come in from Lome and discharge. Is not because we don’t have any where to birth the ship. but because all our operations are choked up because we have containers, general cargo that have actually been there and we are not able to remove.”
Importers using the Apapa and Tin Can ports often go through night meres with accumulated charges,
‘The meeting we had today we are very very relief and I think government has taken the right decision that we should go and decongest the ports and I’m sure Nigerians will see a massive change by next week.”
“We are still working on the cost implications of the road but I can guarantee it will be one of the cheapest roads to be built.”
The Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority Hadiza Usman, said the contractual agreement had greed on the fact that there are several layers of construction that needs to be done.
” The challenge around Apapa area is road issue, the access to the Apapa and Tin Can area is really in a very bad situation”
“We have noted that there is a need to move empty container out of that location. So we have received clear directives that all empty containers need to be taken to holding bay, shipping companies can not have ports locations within the ports any more, so that will free a lot of traffic within the area.”
“We have also noted the need for all tank farms owners to comply with the utilization of holding bays. No more approvals of tank farms will be permitted within the Apapa area any of the cpuntry’
Dangote to complete the reconstruction of Apapa wharf road by June 2018, but alternative works will commence within the immediate period for Tin Can Island.
“There is decisive efforts by Vice President giving clear directives on the need for us to conclude on reconstruction, the trailer park on Tin Can Island will also be reconstructed within three months, so that we can have access to holding bays and trailer parks.”
” The NPF is also licensing access to the trailer parks and port allocations, we are issuing advertisements seeking for expression of interests of some private sectors to operate some trailer parks and holding bays within the Tin Can Island area”
“e are embarking on that within the shortest period and we appeal to the exporters to work with us in traffic management, we are instituting strong task force that will manage the traffic inflow and outflow within the Apapa and Tin Can Island environ’
“This is an emergency for us and that is why we are here today to address these issues. We have seen the commitment from the ministry of works and the NPA will give support in anyway we can”
Minister of Power, Works and Housing Babatunde Fashola
. In October we met with all stakeholders in October and it was based on the report I filed then that the VP convened this meeting.
The highlight is to appropriately define the problem which essentially is a port management challenge that is now compounded by the conditions of the road.
” The conclusions are essentially to accelerate first palliative repair of the Tin Can bound section of the road with Liverpool road, while the procurement being undertaken with the Dangote group is finalized. Some relief will be provided pending when we finalize procurement.”
The road project is also to improve traffic management there in consultation with NPA and to ensure that some of the persons posing as military task force there are disbanded because we here allegations of them collecting money to ferry trucks through to the gate and that is why the minister of defence is here.”
“We also have private businessmen who have also offered to help fund some of the projects that are stuck
Private sector stakeholders, including the President, Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote; Chairman, Honeywell Group, Dr. Oba Otudeko; and the Chairman, BUA Group, Alhaji Abdulsamad Rabiu, were present at the meeting where they made their inputs
Dangote Group is expected to carry out the initial palliative works and reconstruction of some major sections of the Apapa road, which is expected to be completed by June/July 2018.
In the same vein, Honeywell Group will construct a trailer park, while BUA Group will carry out construction works on the Tin Can road.
Ministry of Works, Power and Housing and the Nigerian Ports Authority are also expected to work to duce congestion and ease traffic; empty containers within the Apapa area to be relocated to holding bays.
This is just as Shipping companies will no longer to be allowed to operate holding bays within the Apapa Port location.
Similarly, Tanks farms not to be permitted within the Apapa area.
Process of licencing access to trailer parks and port location by the Nigerian Ports Authority to commence.
Advertisement seeking for expression of interests from private sector to operate trailer parks and holding bays within the Tin Can Island area to be issued.
A task force to manage the flow of traffic within the Apapa and Tin Can Island environment to be established.
Tony Ailemen, Abuja
