In furtherance of the Renewed Hope administration's efforts to revolutionize road infrastructure development and stimulate economic growth, the Minister of Works, David Umahi, has inaugurated a committee on the implementation of a Cashless Tolling System for the Abuja-Keffi Expressway and the Dualization of the Keffi-Akwanga-Markurdi road.
Speaking during the inauguration ceremony held at the Ministry’s headquarters, Umahi stated that the cashless tolling system was a strategic program under the Highway Development and Management Initiative, aimed at promoting a strong and sustainable transportation ecosystem.
He said “This is one of the cardinal strategies of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu towards realizing the desires of our people in the road sector development. Recall that a point of Keffi-Akwanga-Markurdi was made on EPC + F, and funded up to 85% by China Exim Bank, and the Federal Government paid 15% counterpart funding. The job was executed satisfactorily by China Harbour Ltd. Part of the agreement is that they will toll the road and then recoup the money for the Federal Government to pay back the loan segment of the project.”
Inaugurating the Committee, the Minister commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and expressed the hope that the committee would leverage on ideals of the Terms Of Reference handed to them to develop a robust implementation master plan that would lead to the realization of the economic and social objectives of the Highway Development and Management Initiative which is institutionalized to ensure sustainable private sector investment and improve the quality and quantity of the road assets in Nigeria to propel rapid economic development.
Mr Umahi tasked the committee with the Terms of Reference which among other things are to develop the cashless tolling system implementation framework, make appropriate recommendations as to the potential of relief stations and good physical environment along the corridors, and proffer practical solutions to the challenges of implementing cashless toll collection in the Nigerian environment.
He said “We must also, as part of the assignment, develop relief stations. Relief stations are what you see in overseas expressways, where you have a lot of stations, a supermarket, a small clinic, a security outfit, and a number of other facilities, including parks, wheel lorries, vehicles park, and tow vans '.
According to him, 'the idea of Mr. President is that we should have a maximum of 10 minutes of response time on our Highways, meaning that in the full development of this route, part of the assignment will be how we can install CCTV cameras, and also have solar light all through the entire route of the project. ' so, we will be able to put security on our roads, and then we have a station at the relief center, where they will stay and watch the vehicles so that within 10 minutes of any incident along the route, the security people will be able to be there '. Umahi
Earlier in her welcome remarks, the Head of, the PPP Unit, Federal Ministry of Works, Mrs Ugwu-Chima Nnennaya stated that the inauguration was part of the responsibilities of the Federal Ministry of Works which has the mandate to attract private sector funding for the development and management of the Federal Road network through the Highways Development and Management Initiative (HDMI).
Nnennaya said, “The HDMI is expected to, among others, bring accountability, order, and profitable entrepreneurship to the operations, management, and maintenance of Federal Highways '.
' This is consistent with the provisions of the ICRC Establishment Act 2005; National Policy on Public-Private Partnership (“N4P”); Federal Roads and Bridges Tolling Policy of August 2021 and Federal Highways Act CAP. 135, 1971, which grants the Minister of Works the power to administer Tolls on Federal Highways.” she stated
In her acceptance speech on behalf of the Committee on the implementation of the Cashless Tolling System, the Chairman of the committee, Haj. Jummai Katagum thanked the Minister of Works for the opportunity to serve the nation in that capacity.
She noted that, the scope of the assignment, which she described as onerous assured of the commitment of the committee to deliver as and when due.
The committee which comprises members drawn from the Federal Ministries of Works, Finance, Budget and National Planning, Justice as well as Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC) has the Head, PPP Federal Ministry of Finance, Haj. Jummai Katagum and the Head PPP Unit, Federal Ministry of Works, Mrs. Ugwu-Chima Nnennaya as Chairman and Secretary,
The committee has within two (2) weeks to submit its report.
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