President of Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, has said that the 35-kilometre road his organisation is building in Lagos will last 100 years.
According to him, the first phase of the construction from the Apapa port to Toll Gate on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway will be ready before the end of December.
Dangote said this yesterday during an inspection of the construction work, which is expected to pass through Apapa port, Tincan, Mile 2, Oshodi, Anthony, Oworonshoki, up to the toll gate.
The Dangote president was accompanied by the Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, who advised the private sector to raise infrastructure bonds at concessionary rates. Emefiele said this was to support the federal government’s infrastructural development drive.
Speaking during an interview with journalists at the Toyota Bus Stop end of the road, Dangote, Africa’s richest man, explained that the construction work, which started some months ago, was under the Presidential Order Number 7. The order allows companies to build roads and have the money spent deducted from their three-year taxes.
He commended President Muhammadu Buhari for the initiative and called on other corporate organisations to be involved in infrastructure development.
Dangote stated, “We started the road right from the port at Apapa. We are building 10 lanes – five lanes on each side – and there is drainage on both sides and streetlight. It is a concrete road. It is the first heavy concrete road that is up to about 35 kilometres. We would also maintain it for five years. This road will last up to 100 years.
“Government gave us 36 months to complete this project, but I can assure you that we would finish it in 15 months. We should be able to finish before the end of next year.
“I can assure you that this portion of the road that is under construction would be completed before the end of the year.”
