Fashola Extends Completion Dates For 2nd Niger Bridge, Lagos-Ibadan Expressway

Posted by African Examiner Latest Headlines, News, News Across Nigeria, News From The State Friday, June 5th, 2020

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – Minister of Works, Babatunde Fashola, has disclosed that the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway will now be completed in the first quarter of 2022, along with the Second Niger Bridge and the Abuja-Kaduna-Kano Highway.

He stated this when speaking to Channels TV news on Thursday stressing that the delay was due to the coronavirus pandemic as it disturbed construction and affected government revenues.

He said: “As I speak to you now, we have lost essentially the prime of our working period which is the dry season in the Covid period.

“We have to regain and recover all of that.

“We have also lost some of our expected revenue plans.

“At the time Covid hit Nigeria, we were doing 2.59 percent growth rate. Now we are heading for a recession globally and Nigeria will not be insulated from that.

“We are working on plans to bring the economy back on track.”

He further explained that while work was suspended during the coronavirus lockdown, efforts were made to resume once the federal government started to lift restrictions.

He concluded: “Some 11 contractors executing 53 projects in 26 states were remobilised back to site in the first week of the easing of the lockdown.

“We had to work with the Governors to allow men and materials to move.

“We also had to develop new safety guidelines for the construction.”