The deplorable state of roads across the country and the attendant losses
to the nation was one of the high points of discussion at this year’s
conference of the Nigerian Society of Engineers even as the speakers made
a case for the authorities at all levels of government to consider the use
of concrete as alternative option.
With about $1.5 billion economic loss yearly due to bad roads, the
engineers at the confab themed “National Integrated Infrastructure Master
Plan (NIIMP): Strategies for Implementation” held in Akure bemoaned the
infrastructural deficit that has been the lot of the country with a
submission that infrastructural policy implementation should be taken
serious by government and her agencies.
They argued that the major issue with the Nigeria’s road infrastructure is
the absence of effective and sufficient regulatory framework for effective
road construction.
The reaction to the unsavoury condition of the road infrastructure in the
country was ignited by the paper on “Improving Service Delivery in
Transport Infrastructure: The Concrete Road Option” presented by the
Regional Chief Executive Officer of Dangote Cement Plc, Arvin Pathak who
disclosed that Nigeria records an estimated economic loss of economic of
between $1 billion and $1.5 billion every year, due to poor condition of
roads.
Pathak, an engineer, who presented his paper during a session on
”Transport System as a Backbone for the Actualization of NIIMP” gave an
embarrassing vivid picture of the state of Nigerian bituminous roads
constructed few years ago as opposed to concrete roads in the USA and
India which have been constructed over 80 years ago and still smooth.
After giving a graphic picture of some failed bituminous roads, he said
he; roads play very important part in nation’s infrastructure development.
Well-designed concrete roads required little maintenance over 40 year
design lives.
“Using concrete roads will result in less fuel consumption and less
emissions. Small percentage % reduction of life time energy use associated
with road will have significantly positive implications on sustainable
development. Concrete roads are durable and safe. Less prone to wear and
tear and low maintenance requirements is one of the principal advantages
of concrete roads.”
Urging for a new policy that will accommodate the use concrete roads in
the light of the defects of bituminous road and its attendant strain on
the nation’s lean economy, the Dangote Cement boss, said the country free
itself of frequent maintenance and overlay repeatedly increase cost and
cause inconvenience to users.
According to him, the government would find out that Concrete road is the
way to go because of easy availability of indigenously produced cement,
uncertainty about bitumen availability in future.
He added: “Present cement capacity in Nigeria is around 41 million ton per
annum while the expected demand of cement is 20 million in 2015. The
capacity of cement plants under construction is 8.5 million ton per annum.
Also there is adequate quantity of cement of international quality is now
available within the country.
“This is against the fact that bitumen is derived from petroleum crude and
the world supply of crude is not inexhaustible. It may last for another 25
years or so, but prices will continue to increase beyond expectation. it
is in the country’s interest to conserve petroleum products and to adopt
more eco-friendly and cost effective technologies.”
Another Speaker, Engr. Ali Kashim explained that the intervention by
Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA) could not achieve the desired
result because the roads that it was to maintain were already failed and
needed reconstruction and not maintenance.
“Maintenance means working on a good infrastructure to make it remain in
good condition and not working on roads that had already failed and needed
total reconstruction”, he stated.
Earlier in his address during the opening ceremony, President Muhammadu
Buhari who was represented by the Secretary to the Government of the
Federation, Babachir David Lawal lauded the roles being played by the
engineers and that his government would work closely with them and other
professionals to achieve the desired change promised by his government.
He said he looked forward to the communique from the Conference so that
his administration could use it as one of the templates for the
infrastructure renewal strategy being worked on.
Also speaking the Ondo State Governor, Olusegun Mimiko tasked the
engineers to engage in more research development as well as develop
efficient and cost effective infrastructure for Implementation in the
light of the present decayed infrastructure in the country and the
economic downturn.
He charged local engineers to brace up to the reality and the current
challenges if they want to remain relevant to their calling as major
stakeholders and principal actors in the management of the nation’s
infrastructural development..
Mimiko, who commended the engineers for the theme “National Integrated
Infrastructure Master Plan (NIIMP) 2014: Strategies For Implementation”
said his administration has used Engineering as a tool to enhance the
material conditions of his people.
The Governor said his administration has surpassed the previous
administrations in terms of infrastructural development pointing out that
“On a comparative analysis basis, there has not been any administration in
Ondo State‘s almost 40-year old history that has been as active in the
roads and infrastructure sector as our administration. When we came on
board in 2009, we felt, and rightly too that the capacity of the
Oyemekun–Oba Adesida road was overstretched, having been constructed since
1976 and without any major repair.